UN chief calls rising seas a ‘worldwide catastrophe’ that especially imperils Pacific paradises

UN chief calls rising seas a ‘worldwide catastrophe’ that especially imperils Pacific paradises
A section of land between trees is washed away due to rising seas, in Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands. (AP/File)
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Updated 27 August 2024
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UN chief calls rising seas a ‘worldwide catastrophe’ that especially imperils Pacific paradises

UN chief calls rising seas a ‘worldwide catastrophe’ that especially imperils Pacific paradises
  • Globally, sea level rise has been accelerating, the UN report said, echoing peer-reviewed studies. The rate is now the fastest it has been in 3,000 years, Guterres said

NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga: Highlighting seas that are rising at an accelerating rate, especially in the far more vulnerable Pacific island nations, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued yet another climate SOS to the world. This time he said those initials stand for “save our seas.”
The United Nations and the World Meteorological Organization Monday issued reports on worsening sea level rise, turbocharged by a warming Earth and melting ice sheets and glaciers. They highlight how the Southwestern Pacific is not only hurt by the rising oceans, but by other climate change effects of ocean acidification and marine heat waves.
Guterres toured Samoa and Tonga and made his climate plea from Tonga’s capital on Tuesday at a meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum, whose member countries are among those most imperiled by climate change. Next month the United Nations General Assembly holds a special session to discuss rising seas.
“This is a crazy situation,” Guterres said. “Rising seas are a crisis entirely of humanity’s making. A crisis that will soon swell to an almost unimaginable scale, with no lifeboat to take us back to safety.”
“A worldwide catastrophe is putting this Pacific paradise in peril,” he said. “The ocean is overflowing.”
A report that Guterres’ office commissioned found that sea level lapping against Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa had risen 21 centimeters (8.3 inches) between 1990 and 2020, twice the global average of 10 centimeters (3.9 inches). Apia, Samoa, has seen 31 centimeters (1 foot) of rising seas, while Suva-B, Fiji has had 29 centimeters (11.4 inches).
“This puts Pacific Island nations in grave danger,” Guterres said. About 90 percent of the region’s people live within 5 kilometers (3 miles) of the rising oceans, he said.
Since 1980, coastal flooding in Guam has jumped from twice a year to 22 times a year. It’s gone from five times a year to 43 times a year in the Cook Islands. In Pago Pago, American Samoa, coastal flooding went from zero to 102 times a year, according to the WMO State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2023 report.
While the western edges of the Pacific are seeing sea level rise about twice the global average, the central Pacific is closer to the global average, the WMO said.
Sea levels are rising faster in the western tropical Pacific because of where the melting ice from western Antarctica heads, warmer waters and ocean currents, UN officials said.
Guterres said he can see changes since the last time he was in the region in May 2019.
While he met in Nuku’alofa on Tuesday with Pacific nations on the environment at their leaders’ annual summit, a hundred local high school students and activists from across the Pacific marched for climate justice a few blocks away.
One of the marchers was Itinterunga Rae of the Barnaban Human Rights Defenders Network, whose people were forced generations ago to relocate to Fiji from their Kiribati island home due to environmental degradation. Rae said abandoning Pacific islands should not be seen as a solution to rising seas.
“We promote climate mobility as a solution to be safe from your island that’s been destroyed by climate change, but it’s not the safest option,” he said. Barnabans have been cut off from the source of their culture and heritage, he said.
“The alarm is justified,” said S. Jeffress Williams, a retired US Geological Survey sea level scientist. He said it’s especially bad for the Pacific islands because most of the islands are at low elevations, so people are more likely to get hurt. Three outside experts said the sea level reports accurately reflect what’s happening.
The Pacific is getting hit hard despite only producing 0.2 percent of heat-trapping gases causing climate change and expanding oceans, the UN said. The largest chunk of the sea rise is from melting ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland. Melting land glaciers add to that, and warmer water also expands based on the laws of physics.
Antarctic and Greenland “melting has greatly accelerated over the past three to four decades due to high rate of warming at the poles,” Williams, who was not part of the reports, said in an email.
About 90 percent of the heat trapped by greenhouse gases goes into the oceans, the UN said.
Globally, sea level rise has been accelerating, the UN report said, echoing peer-reviewed studies. The rate is now the fastest it has been in 3,000 years, Guterres said.
Between 1901 and 1971, the global average sea rise was 1.3 centimeters a decade, according to the UN report. Between 1971 and 2006 it jumped to 1.9 centimeters per decade, then between 2006 and 2018 it was up to 3.7 centimeters a decade. The last decade, seas have risen 4.8 centimeters (1.9 inches).
The UN report also highlighted cities in the richest 20 nations, which account for 80 percent of the heat-trapping gases, where rising seas are lapping at large population centers. Those cities where sea level rise in the past 30 years has been at least 50 percent higher than the global average include Shanghai; Perth, Australia; London; Atlantic City, New Jersey; Boston; Miami; and New Orleans.
New Orleans topped the list with 10.2 inches (26 centimeters) of sea level rise between 1990 and 2020. UN officials highlighted the flooding in New York City during 2012’s Superstorm Sandy as worsened by rising seas. A 2021 study said climate-driven sea level rise added $8 billion to the storm’s costs.
Guterres is amping up his rhetoric on what he calls “climate chaos” and urged richer nations to step up efforts to reduce carbon emissions, end fossil fuel use and help poorer nations. Yet countries’ energy plans show them producing double the amount of fossil fuels in 2030 than the amount that would limit warming to internationally agreed upon levels, a 2023 UN report found.


UK lawmaker quits Labour Party over PM’s ‘hypocrisy’

UK lawmaker quits Labour Party over PM’s ‘hypocrisy’
Updated 29 September 2024
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UK lawmaker quits Labour Party over PM’s ‘hypocrisy’

UK lawmaker quits Labour Party over PM’s ‘hypocrisy’
  • The row over the free gifts from rich donors had already cast a shadow over the party’s first conference since they returned to government

LONDON: The new government of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer reeled from its first resignation Saturday, as lawmaker Rosie Duffield quit the Labour Party, accusing him of “hypocrisy” over his acceptance of free gifts.
In a blistering resignation letter, Duffield denounced Starmer for pursuing “cruel and unnecessary” policies.
“The sleaze, nepotism and apparent avarice are off the scale,” she wrote, after it emerged earlier this month that Starmer had accepted more than £100,000 in gifts and hospitality while cutting an annual £300 winter heating payment to some 10 million pensioners.
“I am so ashamed of what you and your inner circle have done to tarnish and humiliate our once proud party.”
Duffield said the “hypocrisy” of a leader enjoying expensive free clothing and outings while asking others to tighten their belts was “staggering.”
She also attacked the prime minister’s decision to maintain a cap on a benefit aimed at supporting families with children.
“Someone with far-above-average wealth choosing to keep the Conservatives’ two-child limit to benefit payments which entrenches children in poverty, while inexplicably accepting expensive personal gifts of designer suits and glasses costing more than most of those people can grasp — this is entirely undeserving of holding the title of Labour Prime Minister,” she wrote.
Duffield said that she would in the future sit as an independent MP “guided by my core Labour values.”
The row over the free gifts from rich donors had already cast a shadow over the party’s first conference since they returned to government.
Labour ousted the Conservatives in a landslide election win in July after 14 years in opposition.
But instead of toasting their victory at the conference earlier this week, ministers found themselves on the backfoot and facing anger from the normally supportive unions.
All of the gifts accepted by Starmer had been declared and none fall foul of parliamentary rules.
But records show that Starmer accepted more than £100,000 ($132,000) in gifts and hospitality since December 2019, more than any other lawmaker.
It also emerged that Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner accepted the loan of a New York apartment for a holiday and that Chancellor Rachel Reeves accepted around £7,500 worth of clothing.
Reeves and the Labour party have defended the abolition of the £300 payment to many pensioners to help them heat their homes, citing a need to fill a “£22 billion black hole” they say was left by the Conservatives.
Attacking Starmer’s “managerial and technocratic approach” in her letter, first reported in The Sunday Times, Duffield also reproached Starmer for poor politics.
His “lack of basic... political instincts” had “come crashing down on us as a party after we worked so hard, promised so much, and waited a long 14 years to be mandated by the British public.”
Starmer lost a symbolic vote at the conference demanding that he reverse the contentious policy.
The vote was non-binding but its outcome was nonetheless embarrassing for the premier.
It highlighted the strength of feeling among activists and union backers.
Delegates narrowly backed a union motion calling for the cut to be reversed.
“I do not understand how our new Labour Government can cut the winter fuel allowance for pensioners and leave the super rich untouched,” said the Unite union general secretary Sharon Graham.


World’s path to peace should no longer be blocked by one or two countries, Kuwait’s ambassador to UN tells Arab News

World’s path to peace should no longer be blocked by one or two countries, Kuwait’s ambassador to UN tells Arab News
Updated 29 September 2024
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World’s path to peace should no longer be blocked by one or two countries, Kuwait’s ambassador to UN tells Arab News

World’s path to peace should no longer be blocked by one or two countries, Kuwait’s ambassador to UN tells Arab News
  • Tareq AlBanai highlights problem of ability of single veto-wielding UNSC permanent member to obstruct action even when majority supports a motion
  • Landmark Pact for the Future adopted this week at 79th UNGA session commits world leaders to reform Security Council to better reflect today’s realities

NEW YORK: Decades of debate on reforming the UN Security Council reached what some are calling a turning point this week with the adoption of a “groundbreaking” pact that commits member states to implementing long-demanded changes.

For Tareq AlBanai, Kuwait’s permanent representative to the UN, the pact was the culmination of two years of work built on the belief that no single member state should be able to obstruct action on a matter of global urgency.

Since 2022, AlBanai and Austria’s ambassador to the UN have spearheaded the inter-governmental negotiations to reform the Security Council, whose five permanent members have retained their veto power since the UN’s formation in 1945.

Tareq AlBanai, Kuwait’s permanent representative to the UN. (KUNA photo)

AlBanai described his time co-chairing the inter-governmental negotiations on Security Council reforms as a “labor of love.”

“The Security Council is the only body charged with the maintenance of international peace and security,” he told Arab News. “It is the cornerstone of the multilateral system and the UN when it comes to peace and security. The everyday man around the world — when he thinks of the UN, he thinks of the Security Council.

“And when we see the Security Council unable to act on the most pressing situations around the world that threaten international peace and security, you lose faith in this institution.

“And that is not a good thing. It is the only, truly, universal, multilateral system that we have.”

The mounting calls to reform the council are decades in the making.

Countries such as India, Brazil, Germany and Japan have renewed their appeal for permanent seats to better reflect the geopolitical realities of the 21st century. Meanwhile, the Permanent 5 members (US, UK, France, Russia and China) have urged caution, highlighting the need for “consensus and stability.”

UN SecurityCouncil Members

Permanent members

• China

• France

• Russia

• United Kingdom

• United States

Non-permanent members elected every 2 years

(Until 2024)

• Ecuador

• Japan

• Malta

• Mozambique

• Switzerland

(Until 2025)

• Algeria

• Guyana

• South Korea

• Slovenia

• Sierra Leone

* Elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly

(Source: UN.Org)

The intergovernmental negotiations led by Kuwait and Austria have included discussions on regional representation, the criteria for new permanent members and the balance of power within the Security Council.

“A reformed Security Council, in my opinion, needs to be a place where we can secure collective action through the collective understanding of the members,” AlBanai said.

“No member state should have the ability to stop the majority of the world from taking decisive action on any matter at hand.

“And if they decide to use a prerogative, then there must be ways that we can, as an international community, through the General Assembly or through any other mechanisms we agree on in the future, find an alternative path.

“The path to peace cannot be (stymied) by one, two or even three member states when the majority of the world believes that the way forward is in a specific manner.”

Opinion

This section contains relevant reference points, placed in (Opinion field)

The Pact for the Future — adopted this week at the 79th session of UN General Assembly after nine months of negotiations — offers a consensus vision for cooperation among countries in tackling challenges ranging from climate and artificial intelligence to escalating conflicts and increasing inequality and poverty.

But, more importantly for those eying Security Council reform, the pact also commits world leaders to reform the 15-member organ to better reflect today’s world, “redress the historical injustice against Africa,” which has no permanent seat, and correct the underrepresentation of the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America.

Austria and Kuwait led the negotiations on council reform with vigor, holding a series of televised debates on the topic. Alongside discussions on the main pact, UN members hosted isolated Security Council reform talks, recognizing that the topic could complicate agreements on other issues included in the document.

Guy Ryder, the UN’s under secretary-general for policy, called the language in the pact “groundbreaking,” highlighting the commitment to develop a consolidated model of Security Council reform.

“Now, this might sound rather esoteric, and this would be one of the most difficult things to explain to the person in the street, but for those engaged in this type of process since the 1960s, and the co-facilitators of negotiations, Austria and Kuwait, this is groundbreaking language,” Ryder told Arab News.

Guy Ryder, the UN’s under secretary-general for policy. (un.org photo)

AlBanai agreed, highlighting the avenue to substantial reform that the pact has opened.

“Is it groundbreaking? Well, it’s the first time since 1963 that we have a commitment at the head of state and government level to further enhance the Security Council,” he said, calling for a council that is representative, transparent, effective, inclusive, democratic and accountable.

This is essential for the operation of a functioning multilateral system, according to Al-Banai.

“If we can manage through this process to enhance not only the capacity of the Security Council, but the actual shape, form and actions of the council by increasing its membership, by making it more representative of the world we live in today in 2024, and not the world of 1945, then we have achieved something,” he said.

With only the first step on a long journey ahead having been taken, AlBanai is acutely aware that reform has been a painstakingly slow process.

In the months after the UN was founded in 1945, some member states had already recognized the need for a more flexible Security Council. It was only in the late 1970s that some brought the issue of council reform to the attention of the General Assembly.

Yet substantial progress has remained elusive. One of the most significant barriers to reform has been the frequent turnover of diplomats and experts at the UN, which can stifle continuity in discussions.

To address this, AlBanai and his co-chair, Austrian Ambassador Alexander Marschik, prioritized transparency in negotiations.

Austrian Ambassador to the United Nations Alexander Marschik. (AFP/File)

Through initiatives like webcasting meetings and creating a comprehensive repository of documents, they aimed to make the reform process accessible to a broader audience, including NGOs and academic institutions. That decision has opened the doors for new stakeholders to engage with the reform process, fostering a more inclusive atmosphere for discussion.

One of the most controversial results of the Security Council’s existing format has been the increasingly liberal use of veto power by some permanent members.

In recent years, lone members of the P5 have paralyzed and undermined the credibility of the council, in a pattern that risks damaging the reputation of the entire organization, according to representatives from a wide spectrum of countries. 

AlBanai highlighted the troubling reality of a single veto-wielding permanent member being able to obstruct action, even when the majority of the council supports a motion.

This gridlock has been most evident in discussions surrounding the war in Gaza, with repeated vetoes preventing meaningful action on a ceasefire and urgent humanitarian issues.

“(The veto’s) use or misuse have been a central focus of member states because, unfortunately, one member, or a combination of members, with that ability can stop the movement of the wider international community toward addressing an issue as important as the genocide currently happening in Gaza or any other matter that is under consideration in the Security Council,” AlBanai said.

In this photo taken on December 8, 2023, Ambassador Robert A. Wood, US alternate representative for special political affairs in the United Nations, raises his hand to veto a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. (AFP)

While many member states advocate for the abolition of the veto, such a change is complex, requiring the agreement of the existing veto holders, he added.

“It’s unrealistic to expect that the current P5 will agree to eliminate their own power.”

To sidestep this quandary, discussions have shifted toward giving new permanent members — should they be added — veto power, but the proposal has proved contentious among member states.

Those in opposition argue for the need to reduce veto use entirely, with calls to ban use of the veto power in cases of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

There remains broad support, however, for expanding council membership, in both permanent and non-permanent categories, and for unrepresented or underrepresented regions and continents, such as Africa and Asia, to have a “meaningful seat” at the table. 

One notable development in the reform discussions came in the form of a recent US proposal to add two permanent seats for Africa in the council, though without veto power.

“What I like about the American proposal is that it invites conversation,” said AlBanai, highlighting the importance of moving from abstract discussion to concrete action.

As part of their efforts, Kuwait and Austria introduced “model discussions,” which invited member states and country blocs to present their models of a reformed Security Council.

“That allows the opportunity to move from a conceptual kind of conversation into an actual, almost 3D conversation, where member states sit at the podium with the co-chairs and present, and then all other member states are given the opportunity to actually ask questions and to, if you will, poke holes in this model,” said AlBanai.

He welcomed the US proposal as a positive step and encouraged other member states to do the same: “The Americans have moved from one African member to now two African members. Maybe they’ll move to two permanent African members with a veto in the future. Who knows? But we have to have that conversation, and we have to inject new blood into it.”


READ MORE: 

• UN Security Council must reform to ‘reflect realities of modern world’: Kuwait crown prince

• UN Security Council falls short of meeting aspirations, says Arab League chief

 Saudi FM calls for UN reform

 Bahrain supports UN reform that ‘reflects current geopolitical realities’: Crown prince

• Reform of UN can ‘give Africa a voice,’ Mauritanian president says

• Algerian FM calls for UN reform to meet ‘dangers lurking all over the world’


The discussions on UNSC reform have also included a focus on regional representation.

One longstanding proposal that has been almost universally accepted is adding a permanent seat for the Arab world, which has long been advocated by the Arab League.

Cross Regional Groups have also introduced the idea of permanent seats for themselves, such as Small Island Developing States, known as SIDS, as well as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

“We have to consider these ideas,” said AlBanai.

“I don’t know what the criteria is. Is it the number of agenda items that are discussed in the Security Council? Is it your population? Is it the fact that you have the biggest army? The biggest economy? Could it be the number of international treaties that you’ve signed? Your compliance with international law? There are so many criteria out there, and the discussions should help us narrow in on who is deserving of this seat and how that could be in the future.

“But, surely, the most important thing is that we have a Security Council that reflects the realities of today.”
 

 


UK calls again for immediate ceasefire in Lebanon

UK calls again for immediate ceasefire in Lebanon
Updated 29 September 2024
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UK calls again for immediate ceasefire in Lebanon

UK calls again for immediate ceasefire in Lebanon
  • Britain’s foreign ministry has advised its nationals to leave Lebanon as soon as possible

LONDON: British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he had spoken with Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Saturday, following an Israeli airstrike on Beirut which killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

“We agreed on the need for an immediate ceasefire to bring an end to the bloodshed. A diplomatic solution is the only way to restore security and stability for the Lebanese and Israeli people,” Lammy said in a statement on social media platform X.

Earlier in the week Lammy told the United Nations’ General Assembly that there should be an immediate ceasefire between Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Israel and that a full-blown war was not in the interest of the people in the region.

Britain’s foreign ministry has advised its nationals to leave Lebanon as soon as possible.


World needs multilateral system that serves interests of all equally: Egyptian FM

World needs multilateral system that serves interests of all equally: Egyptian FM
Updated 28 September 2024
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World needs multilateral system that serves interests of all equally: Egyptian FM

World needs multilateral system that serves interests of all equally: Egyptian FM
  • Palestinian cause is ‘central issue’ in Arab world, Badr Abdelatty tells UN General Assembly
  • ‘Egypt is committed to continuing its efforts to build a world of peace, justice and prosperity for all’

LONDON: Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Saturday made an impassioned plea for multilateral reform and international solidarity in tackling global crises.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly, he underscored Egypt’s commitment to global peace, development, and cooperation, while calling out what he described as double standards in international affairs.

He said only a more inclusive multilateral system that serves the interests of all would suffice in addressing contemporary challenges threatening a more equitable world order.

“Egypt is committed to continuing its efforts to build a world of peace, justice and prosperity for all,” he added. 

“We call upon the international community to rise to the challenges of this critical juncture in history, to uphold the principles of equality and fairness, and to work together to build a multilateral system that serves the interests of all nations and peoples without discrimination or bias.”

Abdelatty emphasized the urgent need for this reform, especially in the face of the longstanding unresolved issue of Palestine.

He lamented that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains an “open wound” more than 70 years after its inception. 

He was critical of the international community for the stark contrast between its rapid response to crises in certain parts of the world as opposed to the prolonged inaction on others, particularly in the Middle East.

“How can the international community speak about defending the rules-based international system while some issues, such as the Palestinian cause, remain unresolved for over 70 years?” he asked, drawing attention to the “continued suffering” of the Palestinian people under occupation and the “denial of their basic rights.”

He added: “We’ve seen first-hand how swift the reactions were in some conflicts in Europe, which has raised many questions about the selectivity and bias that dominate the international system today.

“This undermines its credibility and further fuels divisions, conflicts and instability in different parts of the world.”

Abdelatty urged the UN and its member states to apply consistent standards to all conflicts and global challenges, calling for a renewed push to resolve the Palestinian issue, which he described as the “central issue” in the Arab world.

As the host of COP27 last year, Egypt had been at the forefront of climate action, he said, highlighting its advocacy for financing, adaptation, and addressing loss and damage in vulnerable regions of the world.

He called for further international cooperation to achieve climate goals and ensure that developing countries, particularly in Africa, receive adequate support.

Abdelatty stressed the need for a unified global fight against terrorism “in all its forms and manifestations,” citing Egypt’s domestic successes in this regard

Underscoring Egypt’s commitment to sustainable development, he called for increased international support to alleviate poverty and boost economic growth and development, particularly in Africa. 

“Development remains the key to achieving lasting peace and stability. Poverty, hunger and inequality continue to plague many developing countries, particularly in Africa,” he said. 

“The international community must prioritize sustainable development, the elimination of poverty, and the promotion of economic growth in these regions.”

Abdelatty also drew attention to the global food security crisis, exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine and disrupted supply chains, and called for a comprehensive international response to ensure vulnerable countries, especially in Africa, are not left behind.


9 dead, 48 missing in migrant boat shipwreck off Spanish island

9 dead, 48 missing in migrant boat shipwreck off Spanish island
Updated 28 September 2024
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9 dead, 48 missing in migrant boat shipwreck off Spanish island

9 dead, 48 missing in migrant boat shipwreck off Spanish island
  • Eighty-four people were on board and 27 were saved after rescuers responded to a distress call received shortly after midnight from off El Hierro
  • This follows the death of 39 migrants in early September when their boat sank off Senegal

MADRID: A boat carrying migrants capsized off Spain’s Canary Islands overnight, killing at least nine and leaving 48 missing, the national maritime rescue service said on Saturday.
Eighty-four people were on board and 27 were saved after rescuers responded to a distress call received shortly after midnight from off El Hierro, one of the islands in the Atlantic archipelago, a statement said.
This follows the death of 39 migrants in early September when their boat sank off Senegal while attempting a similar crossing to the Canaries, from where migrants hope to reach mainland Europe.
Thousands of migrants have died in recent years setting off into the Atlantic to reach Europe onboard overcrowded and often dilapidated boats.
The latest tragedy “again underlines the dangerousness of the Atlantic route,” Canaries regional president Fernando Clavijo wrote on X.
“We need Spain and the EU to act decisively in the face of a structural humanitarian tragedy” as lives are lost “meters from Europe’s southern border,” he added.
In late August, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited Mauritania and The Gambia to sign cooperation agreements to crack down on people smugglers while expanding pathways for legal immigration.
As of August 15, 22,304 migrants had reached the Canaries since the start of the year, up from 9,864 in the same period the previous year.
Almost 40,000 migrants entered the Canaries in 2023, a record on course to be broken this year as easier navigation conditions from September tend to lead to a spike in crossing attempts.
The Atlantic route is particularly deadly, with many of the crowded and poorly equipped boats unable to cope with the strong ocean currents. Some boats depart African beaches as far as 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the Canaries.
The International Organization for Migration, a UN agency, estimates that 4,857 people have died on this route since 2014.
Many aid organizations say that is a massive undercount, with Caminando Fronteras, a Spanish NGO that aids migrants, saying 18,680 have died trying to reach Europe.