The body of a two-year-old child, face down on the shoreline and alone, was a chilling reminder of the suffering of refugees attempting to reach Europe.

Photographs of Alan Kurdi, who was drowned in the Mediterranean on 2 September while fleeing war in Syria, was viewed by at least 20 million people on social media.

The image raised awareness of the plight of people fleeing conflict and poverty.

Average daily donations to a Swedish Red Cross appeal set up for Syrian refugees increased 100-fold the week after the photograph.

'How can they arrest us for rescuing people?'

But in the two years since Alan's death the route to Europe is as dangerous as it was in 2015.


At least 8,500 people have died or gone missing while attempting to cross the Mediterranean, United Nations statistics reveal.

In fact the year after the photo was taken the number of people dying increased, from 3,771 to 5,096.

This year, around 2,421 people have died in Mediterranean.

Image: This year, around 2,421 people have died in Mediterranean

The majority of these perished on the route from North Africa to Italy, as the flow of people into Europe moves further east from Greece.

Jan-Peter Stellema, operational advisor for Medicins San Frontiers search and rescue in Libya, told Sky News that the photograph of Alan Kurdi was an "iconic" image that served as a "message of humanity".

But he said he believed attitudes toward migrants and refugees had not changed for the better.

"I think public opinion has shifted," he said. "Governments have put more obstacles in our way in the Mediterranean."

Image: Humanitarians say that attitudes toward refugees have hardened

Although rescue missions have saved thousands, humanitarians say government attempts to stop people reaching Europe have got in the way of saving lives.

"The European Union has an agenda and it is to keep people out," Mr Stellema said. "They do border control - a coherent search and rescue is left to others."

The suffering facing refugees and migrants doesn't begin in the Mediterranean, he added. Many are also trapped or in danger in Libya, a war-torn nation where they are "decaying in detention centres".

On the first anniversary of his death, Alan Kurdi's father told journalists that politicians needed to do more to help refugees fleeing violence.

Special Report: Syria's forgotten children

"Everyone allegedly wanted to do something after the photos that had so moved them. But what is happening now?" he said. "The dying goes on and nobody's doing anything."

Another year on aid organisations are still pushing for governments to take action.

"The urgent need for solutions for these children and others on the move remains," the UNHCR said in a statement. "If people see no hope and live in fear, then they will continue to gamble their lives making desperate journeys.

"Political leaders need to work together to develop safer alternatives, to better inform those considering making the journey of the dangers they face, and most importantly to tackle the root causes of these movements, by resolving conflicts and creating real opportunities in countries of origin."