Half of the refugees drowned in the Mediterranean are children

Two years have passed since the death of Alan Kurdî. United Nations announced a death toll of over 8500 refugees in the Mediterranean Sea within the same time frame.

Alan Kurdi lost his life in 2015 when a boat capsized in an attempt to reach EU soil from Bodrum, Turkey. Since then the numbers of children that drowned in the Mediterranean Sea along with their families grew steadily by hundreds.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced that at least 8500 refugees that attempted to cross to Europe lost their lives.

Figures that the United Nations released, tell that 22 million people were forced to leave their homeland in 2016 due to war and oppression, half of whom are children.

"Since Alan's death, despite the regressing numbers of refugees heading to Europe, they still face great risk of death on their way" The UNHCR called for new measures to be taken for the protection of women's and children's lives.

The statement ended with the words: "We need to find an immediate solution for refugee children. If people see no hope where they are living, they will take off to the journey risking their own lives. Political leaders need to work together and develop safer alternatives. To bring an end to this problem, war has to be stopped and opportunities be created in countries that the people free."