Perilous journey

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday that rescue efforts must be strengthened as a growing number of north African refugees lose their lives on the perilous journey across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.

Around 1,500 African migrants have been reported missing since NATO launched its UN-sanctioned bombing campaign in Libya in March, according to UNHCR spokeswoman Laura Boldrini.

The UNHCR's call comes after the Italian coast guard came to the aid of a refugee boat packed with 300 people bound for the island of Lampedusa, located halfway between Sicily and the African coast.

NATO unresponsive

Italy had reportedly asked a NATO ship in the area to come the aid of the 20-meter (66-foot) long boat, but the NATO vessel did not respond.

The Italian coast guard then tried to lower a basket of supplies to the distressed boat by helicopter, but had to break the operation off after refugees tried to cling to the basket.

One female Moroccan survivor claimed that scores of people had died as the boat drifted on its way to Lampedusa.

"We were 300, but 100, especially women, did not survive, and the men were forced to throw their bodies into the sea," she told the Italian news agency ANSA.

Clothes in the water

Antonio Morana, commander of the Lampedusa port, said a speed boat sent out to assist the refugees "saw clothes floating in the sea in the area where they were operating and maybe also corpses."

The number of reported deaths, however, remains unconfirmed.

"Helicopter searches have not found any bodies," Morana told the television news channel Sky TG24.

In total, 24,000 refugees have successfully made the voyage from north Africa to Lampedusa since the bombing campaign in Libya began.

Author: Spencer Kimball (AFP, Reuters, dpa, epd)

Editor: Sean Sinico