Greece: United Nations agencies have called for “urgent and decisive action” to be taken by the European Union to prevent further deaths in the Mediterranean following the presumed drowning of hundreds of people this week off the coast of Greece.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and UN refugee agency (UNHCR) remarked in a statement that between 400 and 750 people are believed to have been on board the boat that capsized on June 14 in the Ionian Sea, some 47 nautical miles (87 kilometres) off Pylos. In what could be one of the worst tragedies of its kind in the Mediterranean, hundreds remain missing and feared dead, as just 104 people have been rescued to date and 78 bodies have been retrieved.

The boat that sank was reported to have been in distress since Tuesday morning, but a search and rescue operation by the Hellenic Coast Guard was only launched after the boat capsized on Wednesday morning.

“The duty to rescue people in distress at sea without delay is a fundamental rule of international maritime law,” the IOM and UNHCR said.

“Both shipmasters and states have an obligation to render assistance to those in distress at sea regardless of their nationality, status, or the circumstances in which they are found, including on unseaworthy vessels, and irrespective of the intentions of those onboard,” they added.

“The EU must put safety and solidarity at the heart of its action in the Mediterranean,” Ms. Gillian Triggs, UNHCR assistant high commissioner for protection, said in the statement.

Mr. Federico Soda, director of the IOM’s Department of Emergencies, said the current approach by states to the Mediterranean migration route was not working.

“Year after year, it continues to be the most dangerous migration route in the world, with the highest fatality rate. States need to come together and address the gaps in proactive search and rescue, quick disembarkation, and safe regular pathways,” Mr. Soda added.

“What happened on Wednesday underscores the need to investigate people smugglers and human traffickers and ensure they are brought to justice,” Mr. Jeremy Laurence, UN Human Rights Office spokesperson, told reporters in Geneva.

The UN has recorded more than 20,000 deaths and disappearances in the central Mediterranean since 2014, making it the most dangerous migrant crossing in the world.

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