Dublin, May 27 (RHC)-- The United Nations has called on European leaders to make greater efforts to help refugees arriving in European countries. Speaking at a joint press conference alongside Ireland’s Prime Minister Enda Kenny in the Irish capital, Dublin, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged European leaders to “provide more help” for the refugees and called on them to “strengthen” search and rescue operations for those refugees passing across the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe.

The UN chief also urged European leaders to view human migration from a more compassionate perspective. “Without compassion you cannot do this. We have to first of all do our best to save lives,” he said.

Migrants, mostly from African countries, travel in perilous conditions through the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. While hoping for a better future life, they face danger at sea as they usually travel on board rickety vessels in unfriendly weather conditions.

In April, 800 people lost their lives in a ship accident in the Mediterranean Sea, according to the UN. Last week, in response to an international outcry over the plight of global migrants, the so-called boat people in Asia in particular, Ban, described the region’s migrant crisis as a “top priority.”

In Southeast Asia, multitudes of boat people are in dire conditions after fleeing persecution and poverty in their countries of origin. In recent weeks, thousands of Bangladeshis and Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar have fled on boat and arrived in neighboring Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Many are in serious need of food and water.

On May 22nd, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said at least 3,000 members of the Rohingya Muslim minority are still likely to be stranded in the Andaman Sea. The UN agency also called on neighboring governments to take prompt action to resolve the crisis.