Even those who argue that US intervention in the Middle East produces blowback don’t always make the claim between that intervention and the wave of refugees from the Middle East to Europe. However, America helped turn Libya into an anarchic, violent nightmare, a huge blunder for which President Obama and his then Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, share responsibility but have never acknowledged responsibility. Thousands of Libyans are willing to risk death on the high seas to leave the country. Some make it; some die. From Damien Gayle at theguardian.com:
Italy’s coastguard helps rescue 144 in latest disaster involving migrants at sea
As many as 400 migrants fleeing Libya are feared to have drowned after their boat capsized in the Mediterranean, survivors told an aid organisation.
Italy’s coastguard had helped to rescue 144 people on Monday, but said it believed there were many more who had drowned given the size of the vessel and that nine bodies had been found.
As an air and sea search continued, survivors were brought into the port at Reggio Calabria, on Italy’s southern tip, where they told Save the Children aid workers there may have been 400 others who drowned in the disaster.
The UN refugee agency said the death toll was likely given the size of the ship. “There were 400 victims in this shipwreck, which occurred 24 hours after [their vessel] left the Libyan coast,” Save the Children said in a statement, citing survivors.
“There were several young males, probably minors, among the victims” and also children among those rescued, it added.
Flavio Di Giacomo, a spokesman for the International Organisation for Migration in Italy, told Agence France-Presse several of the survivors had told his organisation there were between 500 and 550 people on board when the ship sank.
“We are continuing to investigate in order to understand how the shipwreck happened,” Di Giacomo said.
Initial investigations indicate the boat may have capsized after passengers started moving when they saw the Italian rescue team, AFP reported.
The deaths, if confirmed, would add to the soaring numbers of migrants lost at sea: the IOM estimates that up to 3,072 migrants died in the Mediterranean in 2014, compared with an estimate of 700 in 2013. But even those figures could be low. The IOM estimates that since 2000 more than 22,000 migrants have lost their lives trying to reach Europe.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/14/400-drowned-libya-italy-migrant-boat-capsizes
To continuer reading: Hundreds of migrants believed to have drowned
I almost died trying to reach Europe few years back. We lost numerous Ethiopians in the journey. I was in good shape when I started the journey. I suggest that anyone . not to try to take this huge gamble in their life. 1 out of 5 are guaranteed to drown trying to reach Europe. in 2014 30,000 people drowned and died trying to reach Europe from Africa. If it is a must I suggest be prepared mentally and physically before starting the journey. Compared to us Ethiopians the Eritreans are in better shape physically. Most Ethiopians started the journey without any physical fitness training which is really wrong. People need to stop smoking , drinking , chewing khat atleast a year before they start their journey orelse they will not make it. Atleast most Eritreans recieve military training when they reach an adult age so they are better prepared than we Ethiopians. we Ethiopians are committing suicide trying to go through this journey with a weak and mal-nutritioned self. Eventhoguh Eritrea might be weak economically Ethiopia should learn a thing or two on how Eritrea kept their citizens strong without falling for mind and body deteriorating foreign cultures like abusing alcohol , cigarettes , khat and other drugs with an empty stomach. http://www.npr.org/2015/04/15/399937658/hundreds-of-african-migrants-feared-dead-after-boat-capsizes-in-mediterranean http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/15/migrants-drowned-mediterranean_n_7069442.html