Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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   Migrants Dying of Dehydration, Starvation, Sexual Attacks in North Africa

   by Lisa Schlein

   The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said the discovery
   of 34 dead migrants in the Sahara this week brings the number of known
   migrant deaths on the African continent this year to 471.

   IOM believes these deaths may be only a fraction of the true number of
   migrant fatalities across North Africa.

   The Geneva-based organization reports at least 120,000 migrants have
   passed through Niger this year on their way to Europe. Yet, the only
   deaths recorded by IOM in Niger are the 34 victims who died after being
   abandoned by their smuggler this week.

   The agency said many more people have died from exposure, starvation or
   dehydration in the vast Sahara Desert.

   It said there also is an alarming trend of violent deaths for migrants
   in North Africa. IOM spokesman Joel Millman told VOA that sexual
   attacks have been responsible for dozens of deaths.

   "This indicates terrible abuse of people en route, whether this is just
   armed men taking advantage of these people or it is part of sex
   trafficking," he said. "I do not really have the details of that. We do
   know of literally hundreds of women from Nigeria have been forced into
   prostitution in Libya after being told they did not have enough money
   to make the trip up from Nigeria to the coast."

   Millman said smugglers often mislead people by telling them the border
   is only five kilometers away. After taking their money, they leave the
   migrants to wander, often with fatal consequences.

   "We also hear about vehicles that run out of gas or become disabled in
   the high temperatures," he said. "While waiting for relief, people die
   of dehydration. That is very common on that route."

   IOM began its Missing Migrants Project nearly 18 months ago. In that
   time, it has recorded deaths for 678 migrants traveling in Africa, with
   70 of those deaths occurring just in the past two weeks.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/migrants-dying-dehydration-starvation
   -sexual-attacks-north-africa/3381006.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/migrants-dying-dehydration-starvation-sexual-attacks-north-africa/3381006.html