Twelve Syrians died of thirst in the Algerian desert on Sunday, July 7, while trying to reach Europe.
According to the Search and Rescue Association in the Algerian state of Tamanrasset, an appeal was received on July 2 regarding a missing white Toyota four-wheel-drive vehicle in the Algerian desert. After five days of continuous search, the rescue team found the vehicle and several bodies on July 7.
The association reported finding the bodies of 12 Syrians, along with the driver and his companion. The bodies were transferred to Burj Omar Idris Hospital, where a forensic doctor determined that thirst was the primary cause of death, following a vehicle breakdown in harsh desert conditions.
The Algerian Rescue Association published a list of the Syrian victims’ names: Alawi Ibrahim, Mohamed Munther, Mohamed Mowaffaq, Fattah Imad, Hadj Ibrahim Khalil, Sherif Issa, Rayan Issa, Assaf Firas, Hussein al-Dar, Ahmed Bashar, Qassem Mohieddine, and Owaid Ahmed. The driver, Ben Essid Faisal, and his companion, Makhloufi Younes, hailed from the Algerian region of Bordj Omar Idriss.
The association urged the victims’ families to contact the mortuary department at Bordj Omar Idriss Hospital in the Algerian province of Illizi to claim the bodies.
In recent years, dozens of Syrians have died in the Algerian desert or off its coasts while attempting to cross into Europe via the Mediterranean.
In September 2022, young Syrian Anas Moghaddam died of hunger and thirst after getting lost in the Hassi Messaoud desert in Algeria. Anas, a graduate of the Faculty of Islamic Sharia and a graduate student at Damascus University, travelled to Algeria for work after the situation in Syria worsened. Anas and two Algerian friends attempted to travel to Europe, but their car ran out of fuel in the Hassi Messaoud desert, 900 km south of Algiers. Unable to contact anyone for help, their bodies were later found in the desert.
In July 2023, six Syrians drowned off the coast of Algeria while trying to reach Europe. The boat was carrying 11 Syrians from Ain al-Arab, including women and children.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
