Reacting to these latest figures, IOM Director Amy Pope on Tuesday called for greater efforts to prevent traffickers and smugglers from exploiting vulnerable people, and an expansion of safe and regular routes, so that no one is forced to make these deadly journeys.
Recent incidents
In just one incident last Sunday, more than 80 migrants went missing when a boat capsized in the central Mediterranean after leaving Tajoura, Libya, with around 120 people on board.
Previously, on April 1, 19 people were found dead aboard a ship off southern Italy, near Lampedusa. The ship is believed to have been adrift for three days before rescuers arrived.
Italy has recorded around 6,200 arrivals so far in 2026, well below the 9,400 in the same period in 2025.
Thousands of Afghans displaced by the conflict with Pakistan
More than 94,000 people in Afghanistan have been displaced from their homes since a burst of military activity with Pakistan that began in late February.
The UN humanitarian office in the country reports that several hundred civilians have been killed or injured by cross-border shelling, airstrikes and armed clashes.
Some 25 health centers and 41 schools in six Afghan provinces have been damaged, closed or suspended due to shelling and insecurity, disrupting essential health, nutrition and education services.
Despite hostilities, humanitarian partners continue to provide essential aid.
Emergency food, as well as medical supplies and shelter, are being distributed.
Rain relief
Recent widespread rains are “strengthening spring agricultural conditions” across Afghanistan, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture agency, FAO.
It is a positive development for a country where as acute food shortages increase there are around 17.4 million people in need of urgent food assistance.
While the rains have improved soil moisture and supported rainfed crops and grasslands in some areas, heavy rainfall in others has caused destructive flooding.
“Without better water management, they can turn into floods that will devastate homes, crops and livestock,” warned FAO’s top official in Afghanistan, Richard Trenchard.
World leaders gather for ‘One Health’ Summit
A high-level global summit bringing together heads of state, scientists and environmental experts began this week under the theme “One Health”, an integrated UN-backed strategy that recognizes the link between the health of people, animals and our wider environment.
About 60 percent of emerging infectious diseases reported globally come from animals, both wild and domestic, while more than 30 new human pathogens have been detected in the past three decades, 75 percent of which have originated in animals.
Amid growing concerns about animal-to-human transmission and the acceleration of the climate crisis, the summit serves as a platform to break down barriers between human medicine, veterinary science and environmental policy.
Funding efforts
An important milestone was reached when the European Commission announced a 700 million euros commitment to the Global Fund, with 46.5 million euros specifically dedicated to strengthening African health security and the One Health workforce.
By integrating surveillance across sectors, the initiative aims to detect potential pandemics before they emerge.
The World Health Organization (WHO) will chair the summit that begins on Wednesday, as part of a four-track leadership structure, which includes the agriculture and environment agencies of the United Nations, FAO and UNEP).
Officials are emphasizing that investments in antimicrobial resistance and food systems are no longer a luxury, but an need for global survival.