A new tragedy: 144 migrants dead or missing off the coast of Mauritania

Written by: Ayman Ragab

144 African migrants died or went missing after several boats carrying migrants encountered problems at sea off the coast of Mauritania, during rescue operations carried out between July 14 and 18, 2026.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), most of the victims were on a boat that departed from Gambia and remained stranded at sea for 25 days before the tragedy occurred.

Only 38 people survived from the boat

The UNHCR reported that only 38 people survived the boat, including two children who lost all their family members, while the total number of those rescued in the three operations reached 387 migrants, in one of the most tragic incidents on irregular migration routes to Europe, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

UNHCR stressed that the number of deaths and missing persons on sea migration routes to Europe remains alarmingly high, calling for enhanced education and employment opportunities in African countries to reduce the need for young people to undertake dangerous sea journeys in search of a better future, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.