Lampedusa, Italy, January 28, 2026 - The tragic reports of loss of life in the Mediterranean last week, as violent shipwrecks triggered by a cyclone might have claimed up to 380 lives - including one-year-old twin girls from Guinea - must serve as a wake-up call for Europe to put solutions in place to prevent further deaths, says the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

People who have arrived in in Europe over the past few weeks, rescued by the Italian coast guard in very adverse sea conditions, are exhausted and in visible mental and physical distress, IRC teams in Italy report. The accounts shared by survivors highlight the extreme lengths to which families with children are forced to go to escape conflict, disaster and persecution.

IRC Italy staff member working at the disembarkation points in Lampedusa recalls:

"On Thursday evening, I was at the dock. The vessel arrived around 19:30. As soon as one man disembarked, he appeared confused and was shouting. He was transported on a stretcher to the emergency room, where he later passed away.

"The following day, we met the mother of the missing twins. She was crying desperately, screaming, and appeared to be in a state of shock. […] When she saw two other Guinean women holding their children, she broke down crying and started screaming again.

"We have spoken with other people from Cameroon and Guinea who had been on the same boat. Some reported that the twins had died from the cold during the crossing; however, this information remains vague and unverified."

In 2025 alone, at least 1,340 people lost their lives in the Central Mediterranean, with hundreds more reported missing at sea or confirmed dead in just the first month of 2026, following the incidents reported in recent days.

"Nobody puts their child on a boat unless they have absolutely no other choice," adds Marta Welander, EU Advocacy Director with the IRC.

"The events of last week, and the tragic accounts shared by survivors in Italy, underscore more than ever the need for humanitarian leadership in Europe. This will require expanding and creating more safe routes to protection, such as refugee resettlement, so that people are not forced to risk their lives on these deadly journeys in the first place.

"Europe must prioritise the wellbeing, rights and dignity of people seeking safety, and work towards a truly humane, effective and sustainable asylum and migration system."