More than 300 migrant children have died in the Mediterranean Sea since the deadly 2023 shipwreck off Steccato di Cutro, according to Save the Children. Marking the third anniversary of the tragedy, the organisation said the figure is a conservative estimate, averaging about 100 child deaths per year since the disaster.
The Cutro shipwreck occurred on the night of February 25–26, 2023, when 94 people, including men, women, and children, died just metres from the shore in southern Italy. The tragedy shocked the country as images showed children’s toys washed up on the beach. At the time, leaders promised “never again,” echoing similar pledges made after the 2013 Lampedusa shipwreck.
In a joint statement, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) also honoured the victims and warned that migrant deaths at sea continue. They stressed that remembering Cutro must mean taking action to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
According to data cited by the organisations, more than 34,200 people have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean since 2014. Nearly 3,000 of those deaths have occurred since the Cutro disaster. Many shipwrecks happen far from shore and receive little public attention, with bodies continuing to wash up along the coasts of Calabria and Sicily.
As of February 24, 2026, IOM data shows that 503 confirmed deaths have already been recorded this year along the Central Mediterranean route. This figure represents more than one-third of the total deaths recorded in the entire previous year, raising alarm among humanitarian groups.
UNHCR and IOM called for stronger European coordination to improve search and rescue operations at sea. They also urged governments to ensure timely disembarkation at safe ports, provide access to international protection for those eligible, and expand safe and regular migration pathways to reduce reliance on dangerous sea crossings.
Salvatore Sortino of IOM’s Mediterranean Coordination Office said saving lives at sea is a legal obligation and must remain a top priority. He added that preventing further tragedies requires stronger action against human traffickers as well as better legal entry channels.
Chiara Cardoletti, UNHCR Representative for Italy, Malta, the Holy See and San Marino, said no single country can manage such a complex issue alone. She called for a multilateral and coordinated approach involving countries of origin, transit and destination to ensure protection for those entitled to it and to share responsibility more effectively.