Refugee deaths in January top 360; arrivals in Greece top 62,000, said International Organisation for Migration

The total number of refugees arriving in Greece in January topped 62,000, the International Organisation for Migration said on Tuesday.

"(It) is many, many times what we saw a year ago in the previous January," IOM spokesman Joel Millman said. He added that there were more than 360 deaths among refugees in the waters off Greece, Turkey and Italy during the month.

A press release by IOM stated, that in the fourth year of the Mediterranean’s refugee emergency "children were especially vulnerable during the past month".

Adding, "IOM estimates that 60 children under the age of 18 died on the so-called Eastern Mediterranean route, bringing to 330 the total number of minors drowning in those waters over the past five months."

91% of the refugee come from three countries –Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, according to a survey by Greek authorities.

Recently, the Turkish coastguard recovered the bodies of women and children washed up on a beach after yet another boat with refugees sank while trying to reach Europe, leaving at least 37 dead. In an earlier report, IOM said  the "drownings continue a grim trend that accelerated" in 2014 when nearly 4,000 people died trying to reach Europe by sea."

(With agency inputs)