The Central Mediterranean is the site of one of the biggest humanitarian tragedies in recent years. The result of passing Tropical Storm Harry Hundreds of migrants have gone missing while crossing the sea from Tunisia to Europe. This was reported by humanitarian organizations and witnesses on the ground.
Italian sea rescue organization Mediterranea Saving Humans (MSH), headed by Laura Marmorale, estimates the number of missing people could reach thousands.
“We are facing the biggest tragedy in recent years on the central Mediterranean route, while the Italian and Maltese governments remain silent and inactive,” Marmorale said, citing new data collected by Refugees in Libya and Refugees in Tunisia.
According to official data from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) in Rome transmitted via Inmarsat, as of January 24, 2026, at least 380 people were officially missing. This concerns eight separate boats that left Sfax (Tunisia's east coast) between 14 and 21 January. On board were 49, 54, 50, 51, 36, 42, 53 and 45 people, including women, men and children. None of these boats have been identified and a rescue operation has not been confirmed.
The voyages coincided with harsh sea conditions caused by Cyclone Harry. Waves during this period exceeded 7 meters, wind gusts reached more than 54 knots.
“Not only have these boats disappeared, they have encountered the most dangerous sea conditions in 20 years,” MSH said in a statement.
Among the few survivors was Sierra Leonean citizen Ramadan Conte, rescued by the merchant ship Star south of Malta. He spent more than 24 hours adrift at sea, observing the bodies of dozens of people, including his brother, his brother's wife, and his nephew. “I lost my brother, his wife, my nephew and at least 47 other people,” he said.
Evidence collected by Refugees in Libya and Refugees in Tunisia shows that since 15 January, under pressure from the Tunisian army and as a result of raids on unofficial camps around Sfax, several convoys left from different points along the coast. According to sources, one of the organizers of illegal “tours” from Tunisia to Europe, nicknamed Mohamed, organized 5 such departures, each consisting of 50-55 people. Other sources speak of 17 other boats departing from the Tunisian coast. Most of the ships disappeared without a trace, with only a few survivors able to recount the shipwreck.
Tunisian doctor and activist Ibrahim said he lost five family members, including a son and two wives. Among the missing was a Nigerian activist who was also on one of the boats. Maltese authorities recovered dozens of bodies from the sea, confirming the scale of the tragedy.
The situation of children is especially tragic. According to Save the Children, two sets of one-year-old twins are still missing and an adult man died after rescuing 61 people trapped in Lampedusa on January 24. Survivors included the twins' mother, approximately 22 unaccompanied minors and two boys. The crossing lasted at least three days in harsh conditions; people arrive in difficult physical and psychological conditions.
Georgia D'Errico, director of institutional relations at Save the Children, said: “Every delay, every omission, every decision that endangers those fleeing poverty, violence and repression is a heavy responsibility for the European Union and its member states. We cannot remain silent as many lives, including those of many children, have been lost over the years. These waters have once again become a deadly border: an unacceptable massacre.” This must end.”
The organization calls for the opening of regular and safe routes to Europe as well as the activation of a coordinated and structured search and rescue system in the Mediterranean, in accordance with international principles and European solidarity.
More than 33,300 people have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean since 2024, according to Save the Children.
Cyclone Harry killed five people in Tunisia and five other fishermen in the port of Teboulba went missing on the night of January 19 (one of them was later found alive). These cases add to the tragedy of migration, highlighting the deadly dangers of the sea during this period.
