Charlie Yaxley
UN: Migrant, refugee death toll in Mediterranean tops 1,000 for 6th year
More than 1,000 migrants and refugees have died in the Mediterranean Sea this year, the sixth year in a row that this "bleak milestone" has been reached, the United Nations said on Tuesday.
The UN refugee agency UNHCR called for European Union (EU) member states to reactivate search and rescue operations and acknowledge the crucial role of aid groups' vessels in saving lives at sea.
UNHCR concerned migrant camp conditions will worsen
The United Nations refugee agency on Tuesday pressed Greek authorities to take urgent action to improve conditions at migrant reception facilities on the Aegean islands, particularly on Lesvos and Samos.
Describing living conditions at the camps as "abhorrent," UNHCR spokesperson Charlie Yaxley expressed fears that they would only worsen.
Situation at 'boiling point' at Greek refugee center, UN says
The United Nations refugee agency called on Greek authorities on Friday to speed up the transfer of eligible asylum-seekers to the mainland, saying the situation at an overcrowded reception center on Lesvos island was "reaching boiling point."