(MENAFN- Arab News) MALTA: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres and Special Envoy Angelina Jolie visited the naval rescue headquarters in Malta on Sunday on a weekend in which new boat sinkings were being reported off Egypt and Libya claiming more innocent lives.

Jolie and Guterres met three survivors of one of the tragedies who had been rescued by a commercial vessel and brought to Malta by the Maltese authorities a statement by the UNHCR said.

In the Maltese capital Valletta Jolie also visited Syrian refugee families who survived a similar devastating boat tragedy last October. They included a couple from Damascus whose three small children perished during the crossing and a doctor from Aleppo whose wife and three year-old daughter drowned. Half of those arriving in Europe by boat are refugees from Syria and Eritrea.

Guterres and Jolie thanked the naval authorities for their part in successful rescue operations that have saved many lives. Amidst concerns about the sustainability of the Italian Mare Nostrum operation they also called for increased efforts by European nations to contribute to rescue efforts and reduce deaths at sea.

Over 2500 people have drowned or gone missing attempting the crossing this year alone including over 2200 since the start of June.

Jolie said: 'We all need to wake up to the scale of this crisis. There is a direct link between the conflicts in Syria and elsewhere and the rise in deaths at sea in the Mediterranean.