عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Eight Migrants Found Dead Off Morocco

Hundreds of sub-Saharan African migrants set up their makeshift home on the edge of Morocco's coastal port city of Casablanca © FADEL SENNA / AFP
Hundreds of sub-Saharan African migrants set up their makeshift home on the edge of Morocco's coastal port city of Casablanca © FADEL SENNA / AFP
TT
TT

Eight Migrants Found Dead Off Morocco

Hundreds of sub-Saharan African migrants set up their makeshift home on the edge of Morocco's coastal port city of Casablanca © FADEL SENNA / AFP
Hundreds of sub-Saharan African migrants set up their makeshift home on the edge of Morocco's coastal port city of Casablanca © FADEL SENNA / AFP

The bodies of eight migrants have been found after their vessel sank off Morocco's northern coast, local authorities said Wednesday, adding that nine others were rescued.

The migrants took off from Morocco's northern Nador region seeking to "cross the Mediterranean aboard an inflatable boat", authorities were quoted by the state news agency MAP as saying.

The boat sank on Tuesday "due to poor weather conditions", it said.

The authorities said "the search is continuing for missing people" after nine had been rescued, and that an investigation had been opened into the incident.

The migrants' nationalities were not immediately specified.

Morocco is a frequent launching point for many irregular migrants who make the perilous journey across the Mediterranean or the Atlantic in a bid to find better lives in Europe.

In the past weeks, the Moroccan navy announced it had intercepted or rescued dozens of migrants during various operations at its southwestern coast.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Lebanon Joins Middle East Green Initiative

 Prime Minister Najib Mikati sits between Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan and Environment Minister Nasser Yassin during the announcement (Office of the Prime Minister)
 Prime Minister Najib Mikati sits between Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan and Environment Minister Nasser Yassin during the announcement (Office of the Prime Minister)
TT
TT

Lebanon Joins Middle East Green Initiative

 Prime Minister Najib Mikati sits between Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan and Environment Minister Nasser Yassin during the announcement (Office of the Prime Minister)
 Prime Minister Najib Mikati sits between Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan and Environment Minister Nasser Yassin during the announcement (Office of the Prime Minister)

Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister announced that the country has joined the Middle East Green Initiative, launched by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to mitigate the impact of climate change on the region.

“This is an essential step for Lebanon, especially since our southern villages and towns have been exposed to significant environmental and agricultural damage due to Israeli attacks, which requires cooperation with all of Lebanon's friends,” a statement released by the Lebanese Council of Ministers quoted Mikati as saying.

Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan welcomed Lebanon’s participation in the initiative, confirming that a high committee has been established to ensure the project’s sustainability and facilitate relevant cooperation.

He noted that the timing of the announcement “comes in light of the continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon, and this matter must be drawn to attention, especially since Israel is destroying very large areas, whether agricultural lands, fruit trees or forests.”

Environment Minister Nasser Yassin said that the Middle East Green Initiative has very important goals to plant 40 billion trees across the region and protect the Gulf and the Middle East from climate change, stop land degradation and desertification and find the means to adapt to future challenges.

The Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture estimates that more than 2.8 million square meters of forest and agricultural land were completely burned, while about 6.7 million square meters of agricultural and forest land were partially damaged as a result of Israel’s attacks and its use of internationally-banned incendiary munitions.