The call came from Libya: pay $4,000 immediately, or the boy dies at sea. For Youssef Ibrahim, whose 18-year-old brother Hamdy had vanished after contacting smugglers online, there was no choice. Fifteen remain missing—among them Hamdy and Mohamed Gouda, whose brother Abed pleads: "All we want to know where they are." Why they risk everythingWith Egypt's currency losing two-thirds of its value since 2022, young men see no future. Last year, over 17,000 Egyptians crossed the Mediterranean, while 1,328 perished on the world's deadliest route.

Source: Ethiopian News February 18, 2026 13:16 UTC