UN says 144 migrants and refugees reported dead or missing off the coast of Mauritania

The United Nations said Tuesday that 144 refugees and migrants were reported dead or missing after "tragic maritime incidents" off the coast of Mauritania last week.

The UN refugee agency UNHCR said that overall, three rescue and disembarkation operations were conducted between July 14 and 18 in Nouadhibou, Mauritania, bringing 387 people of various nationalities safely ashore.

But 143 people were reported dead or missing on one of the boats, which had departed from Bufalo in Gambia headed for Spain and was rescued on Saturday after nearly 25 days stranded at sea, the agency said.

Only 38 people were brought safely ashore from that vessel, it said, adding that two children who had lost all of their family members during the journey were among the survivors.

Another death was reported on a ship from which people disembarked on July 14, it said.

"The refugees and migrants were reported dead or missing after attempting the perilous sea journey from West Africa towards Europe, highlighting the continued human cost of these dangerous routes," UNHCR spokesman Matthew Saltmarsh told reporters in Geneva.

Despite rescue efforts, "the Atlantic route from West Africa towards the Canary Islands remains one of the world's deadliest mixed movement corridors due to long distances, unpredictable ocean conditions, unseaworthy overcrowded boats and limited access to timely rescue".

So far in 2026, UNHCR said that 17 disembarkations had been recorded in Nouadhibou and Nouakchott, with a total of 2,147 individuals rescued.

The UN agency reported that the number of arrivals to the Spanish archipelago was down 61 percent from 2025, with 4,400 arrivals as of July 15.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)