Au moins 33 personnes sont portées disparues après deux incidents distincts de bateaux au large des côtes des îles Baléares en Espagne le 4 août, selon Alarm Phone.

L’organisation de soutien aux migrants a déclaré que deux bateaux ont coulé dans l’ouest de la Méditerranée, et que les survivants rapportent que des dizaines de personnes restent portées disparues.

Alarm Phone a dit qu’un des bateaux est parti avec 19 personnes à bord et a été retrouvé après avoir passé 15 jours en mer. Seuls deux survivants ont été secourus, laissant 17 personnes disparues.

Dans le deuxième incident, un bateau transportant 30 personnes a été repéré par un navire marchand, qui a alerté la garde côtière. Le bateau a ensuite été retrouvé avec 12 survivants et les corps de deux personnes, tandis que 16 autres restaient portées disparues.

Selon les survivants, un bébé faisait partie de ceux qui étaient encore portés disparus. 

Alarm Phone a exprimé sa tristesse et sa colère face aux décès et disparitions, accusant ce qu’elle a décrit comme les conséquences dévastatrices des politiques frontalières de l’Europe. 

L’organisation a déclaré que ses pensées et sa solidarité allaient aux familles des personnes disparues et aux survivants qui ont enduré ce qu’elle a qualifié d’expérience traumatisante.

Ces incidents viennent s’ajouter aux inquiétudes concernant la perte continue de vies le long des routes migratoires en Méditerranée, où les personnes essayant d’atteindre l’Europe entreprennent souvent des traversées maritimes dangereuses dans des embarcations peu sûres.

At least 33 people are missing following two separate boat incidents off the coast of Spain’s Balearic Islands on August 4, according to Alarm Phone.

The migrant support organisation said two boats sank in the western Mediterranean, with survivors reporting that dozens of people remain unaccounted for.

Alarm Phone said one of the boats departed with 19 people on board and was found after spending 15 days at sea. Only two survivors were rescued, leaving 17 people missing.

In the second incident, a boat carrying 30 people was spotted by a merchant vessel, which alerted the coast guard. The boat was later found with 12 survivors and the bodies of two people, while 16 others remained missing.

According to survivors, a baby was among those still unaccounted for.

Alarm Phone expressed sorrow and anger over the deaths and disappearances, blaming what it described as the devastating consequences of Europe’s border policies.

The organisation said its thoughts and solidarity were with the families of those missing and the survivors who endured what it described as a traumatic experience.

The incidents add to concerns over the continuing loss of life along Mediterranean migration routes, where people attempting to reach Europe often undertake dangerous sea crossings in unseaworthy vessels.

Refugees at the Agadez Humanitarian Centre in Niger have accused the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and partner humanitarian organisations of neglecting their plight, saying they have been left “forgotten” in the middle of the desert.

The refugees, represented on X by the handle @refugeesniger, made the allegations in a series of posts highlighting what they described as prolonged suffering, violations and inadequate attention to their concerns at the centre.

According to the group, refugees have continued a peaceful protest in front of the UNHCR office at the Agadez Humanitarian Centre, despite what they described as neglect and violations of their rights.

“Day 683” of the protest, the group said, had been observed without interruption, urging the international community to speak out about the refugees’ conditions.

“The @Refugees at the #Agadez Humanitarian Center are forgotten refugees in the middle of the desert abandoned by the @UNHCRNiger and its partner humanitarian organizations. Please speak about them and their suffering,” the group posted.

The refugees also alleged that the treatment they had received at the centre raised questions about the motives and conduct of some humanitarian organisations operating in the region.

“The abuses suffered by refugees at the humanitarian center in #Agadez Niger indicate that there are ulterior motives within humanitarian organizations and that these organizations have a hidden agenda,” another post said.

They described their prolonged protest as a symbol of resilience, sacrifice and commitment to their demands, insisting that they would continue their peaceful action despite the difficulties they face.

“The refugees at the Agadez Humanitarian Center are a symbol of true struggle in the world, a symbol of sacrifice and steadfastness to principle,” the group said.

The refugees’ statements did not provide specific details of the alleged violations or identify particular humanitarian organisations beyond UNHCR Niger and its partners.

The Agadez region, located in central Niger, is a major transit and migration hub in the Sahara and has hosted migrants, asylum seekers and refugees affected by displacement and migration movements across the Sahel.

The allegations underscore continuing concerns over the protection and welfare of displaced populations in remote humanitarian settings, particularly where access to essential services and durable solutions remains limited.