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The lifeless bodies of three babies, dressed in brightly colored clothes and almost sleeping, were carefully hauled to Libya on Friday.
Held in the outstretched arms of three men near the water's edge, one Babies still wore sneakers, closed by pink velcro straps, another with red socks matched with red and white dotted pants and a third barefoot, partially wrapped up in a makeshift blanket.
Hundreds of people have already lost their lives this year attempting the perilous crossing of the Mediterranean, according to IOM.
Only 14 migrants were rescued after the boat capsized on Friday, according to IOM, while the rescue operation was underway.
"The bodies of three children under five were found, how many dead or dead, we do not know for the moment," said Christine Petre, spokeswoman for the United States. IOM for Libya. providing on-site medical assistance, and additional staff was deployed, said Petre. "The IOM provides direct humanitarian assistance at the point of landing, including water and food," she said.
Separately, about 345 migrants were fired Friday on the Libyan coast by the Libyan coastguard, IOM said. 10,200 migrants have been brought back to Libya so far in 2018, said Petre. The Libyan Coast Guard has returned more than 2,000 people last week
The EU has abdicated its responsibilities
The humanitarian group Médecins Sans Frontières urged Friday European leaders to "show decency" in its Committing to seek EU Member States abdicate their responsibilities to save lives and deliberately condemn vulnerable people to be trapped in Libya, or die at sea, "said Karline Kleijer, chief of emergencies for the country. aid group.
"They are fully aware of the extreme violence and abuse that refugees and migrants endure in Libya."
Oscar Camps, president of the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms, complained about a lifeboat, his organization had on hand to help migrants, as she had done in the past.
"Today, 100 people have died in the Mediterranean, we are outraged not only by the deaths of these people, but also because they have not used lifeboats in the region, neither Italy nor anyone else, uses our capabilities, "he said.
" We have done it in the past – we we came seven miles from the Libyan coast to witness a sinking – we did so many operations under the coordination of the Italian Coast Guard, but suddenly they ignore us, they do not call us, and people continue to die a few miles from us, it's a shame and somebody has to take responsibility, we're not there to obstruct the work of the Coast Guard. that people do not die in the sea. "
Uptick in the crossings
European leaders have also agreed to step up their efforts to stop traffickers operating outside Libya or elsewhere, including increased support for the Libyan Coast Guard and for the Sahel region, through which many African migrants sub- Saharan are traveling north
Despite the dangers, thousands of migrants – many of whom are fleeing the conflict , poverty or oppression – continue to risk their lives on overcrowded and barely navigable boats in the hope of finding While the illegal crossings to the EU have decreased by 95% compared to their peak in October 2015, there has recently been a slight rise in some routes across the Mediterranean. nean, said the European Council.
CNN's Lorenzo D'Agostino contributed to this report.
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Tags among babies boat capsizing crisis dead Libya migrant