An average of six people a day died while attempting to cross the Mediterranean to Europe last year, the UN says.
According to figures released by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), 2,275 refugees and migrants died or went missing while making the perilous crossing.
While the number of deaths more than halved in 2018 compared to 2017, the agency says the rate of deaths per number of people attempting the journey to Europe "rose sharply".
The UNHCR report highlights that there was one death for every 14 arrivals on the crossing from Libya to Europe - compared to one death for every 38 arrivals the previous year.
It also raises concerns about incidents such as large numbers of migrants being forced to wait at sea for days or weeks before being allowed to disembark, as well as the growing restrictions on NGO search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean.
Overall, the number of people arriving in Europe dropped to 139,000 - the lowest number in five years.
Reacting to the figures, Filippo Grandi - the UN High Commissioner for Refugees - said: "Saving lives at sea is not a choice, nor a matter of politics, but an age-old obligation.
"We can put an end to these tragedies by having the courage and vision to look beyond the next boat, and adopt a long-term approach based on regional cooperation, that places human life and dignity at its core."
However, the UN does say there's been 'seeds of hope' in terms of the international response to the situation in the Mediterranean - including countries committing to relocating refugees and migrants rescued at sea.
