One-year-old twin girls are missing, presumed dead, off the coast of Lampedusa as Cyclone Harry tears through the Mediterranean

ROME, 23 January 2026 – “One-year-old twin girls from Guinea are reportedly missing, presumed dead, off the coast of Lampedusa, Italy, after the over-crowded boat they were travelling faced treacherous conditions as Cyclone Harry tore through the Mediterranean. 

Our deepest condolences go out to their family members and all those impacted by this tragedy.

The two girls were travelling on an iron boat, measuring just 9m in length, which departed Sfax, Tunisia on Wednesday 21 January. After nearly two days at sea, 61 people – one of whom has since reportedly died – were rescued by Italian coastguards. 

This latest incident highlights not only the extreme – and preventable – risks faced by children and families when crossing the Mediterranean, but the desperation of these families to get to a safer place. 

Approximately one child a day dies or disappears attempting to cross the central Mediterranean from Africa to Europe, according to a 2025 UNICEF analysis. The twins’ disappearance is the latest preventable case of children drowning while crossing the Mediterranean in search of safety and opportunities:

• On 18 October 2025, a pregnant woman died, and more than 20 people disappeared, including several children, when a small fiberglass boat capsized off the coast of Lampedusa.
• On 14 August 2025, a newborn baby, and at least 25 other people, drowned when two boats carrying more than 90 people capsized off the coast of Lampedusa.
• On 30 June 2025, a mother was killed and her child went missing after a 15m-long iron boat carrying more than 100 people was shipwrecked off the coast of Lampedusa,
• On 26 January 2025, a shipwreck off the coast of Lampedusa killed two children, leaving a third missing.
• On 31 December 2024, more than 20 people disappeared when their small boat sank off the coast of Lampedusa. Among the seven survivors was an eight-year-old child whose mother was missing, presumed dead.
• On 11 December 2024, an 11-year-old girl was found floating alone in the sea, wearing a life jacket made of tyre tubes, after 44 other passengers on her boat drowned, including her brother and cousin. She had no drinking water or food. A doctor determined she had been in the water for at least 12 hours. The boat sank in a storm after departing from Sfax, Tunisia.
• On 28 November 2024, two children and two women drowned after their boat crashed into rocks and sank off the island of Samos, Greece.
• In early September 2024, around 20 people died when their small, wooden boat capsized “repeatedly” in the waters off the coast of Lampedusa. People were left clinging to the side of the boat as their family members, including three children, drowned around them. 

This list is not exhaustive. Many shipwrecks leave no survivors or go unrecorded. This means that the true number of people, including children, who have died or disappeared is practically impossible to verify – and likely much higher. 

UNICEF calls on governments to use the Migration and Asylum Pact to prioritize safeguarding children. This includes ensuring safe, legal pathways for protection and family reunification, as well as coordinated search and rescue operations, safe disembarkation, community-based reception, and access to asylum services.

We also urge increased investment in essential services for children and families arriving via dangerous migration routes, including psychosocial support, legal aid, health care, and education.

Finally, governments must address the root causes of migration and support the integration of families into host communities, ensuring children’s rights are protected at every stage of their journey.”