World
Mauritania: 144 dead or missing in one week on the Canary Islands route
A total of 144 people died or went missing off Mauritania during the week of July 13–19, 2026, according to the UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency). The toll was dominated by a single vessel that departed from Bufalo in Gambia and drifted for approximately 25 days on the Atlantic before being rescued on July 18: 143 passengers died or went missing, while 38 survived. In parallel, three rescue operations brought 387 people safely to Nouadhibou between July 14 and 18.