2nd LD Writethru: UN chief calls for "robust search, rescue capacity" in Mediterranean following deadly tragedy

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday called for "comprehensive and collective" response from the international community to ensure "a robust search and rescue capacity in the Mediterranean" after as many as 700 people were feared dead when a ship capsized overnight off the Libyan coast.

"The secretary-general is shocked and deeply saddened by reports that a ship carrying as many as 700 migrants and refugees has capsized off the Libyan coast," said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesman.

This tragedy is the latest in a line of incidents in the last week, in which hundreds of other migrants and refugees are reported to have died, said the statement. "These are urgent reminders of the critical need for a robust search and rescue capacity in the Mediterranean."

Nearly 700 migrants are suspected to have died at sea when a packed ship capsized in international waters south of Italy's Sicily on Saturday night, local reports said Sunday.

The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said of the 700 reported to be on board, around 50 people had been rescued.

If the death toll is confirmed, it will bring to 1,500 the total number of people who died this year seeking to reach Europe - - a swelling exodus that prompted Europe to downsize its seek and rescue border protection program in a bid to deter them, reports said, adding that international aid groups strongly criticized the decision.

"The secretary-general encourages European member states and the European Union to accelerate their ongoing efforts to comprehensively address the plight of those seeking refuge within their borders," the statement said.

"With record numbers fleeing war and persecution, more people are trying to reach Europe by boat and more lives are being lost," the statement said.

At least 218,000 migrants tried to cross the Mediterranean Sea last year to enter the European Union (EU) from its southern borders, and some 3,500 of them lost their lives in the attempt, the UNHCR said in a recent statement, adding that the trend is " expected to continue."

This makes the Mediterranean the world's deadliest route used by asylum seekers and migrants, said the statement.

"The international response to this must be comprehensive and collective...The challenge concerns not only improved rescue at sea and access to protection. It is how to ensure the right to asylum of the growing number of people worldwide fleeing war who need refuge and safe haven," it noted.

Their journeys are fraught with risks including discrimination, violence and exploitation, and they urgently need our protection during their hour of greatest need, the statement added.

The UN chief recognized the heavy impact the arrival of so many migrants has on Italy and is grateful to the government of Italy for all its efforts. He appealed to the international community for solidarity and burden-sharing in the face of this crisis, according to the statement. Endite