UN chief urges Europe to act in 'sea of misery'

(UNITED NATIONS) - Migrant boat tragedies are turning the Mediterranean into a "sea a misery," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday, calling on Europe to step up efforts to deal with the crisis.

Ban said the drowning of hundreds of migrants over the weekend who perished when their boat capsized off the coast of Libya "should shock the global conscience."

"The Mediterranean is fast becoming a sea of misery for thousands of migrants," Ban told a meeting at UN headquarters on the World Humanitarian Summit to be held in Turkey next year.

"More than twice as many migrants have died at sea in the past year than on the Titanic," he added.

Noting that Italy, Malta and Greece had carried the greatest burden from "this truly titanic humanitarian tragedy," Ban urged the European Union to step in and do more.

"I urge the European Union to show solidarity by accelerating its support, " he added.

Southern European countries have been struggling to cope with an upsurge of migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East aboard boats operated by human traffickers.

The UN chief called for a crackdown on human traffickers and a strengthening of rescue operations in the Mediterranean, where at least 1,600 people have died this year.