61 Reported Dead as Migrant Boat Capsizes off Libya

(MENAFN) A vessel carrying 74 people, primarily Sudanese nationals, overturned near Libya’s coast on September 13, leaving only 13 survivors, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) confirmed on Wednesday. Dozens remain unaccounted for, raising fears of a substantial death toll.

In a statement, UNHCR offered its condolences to "the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives" and emphasized the dire need for peace in Sudan, noting the lack of safe and lawful migration alternatives.

"The real solution is to end the war in Sudan so families can return home in safety and not take these dangerous journeys," the agency stated.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported a day earlier that at least 50 Sudanese refugees perished after a fire erupted on the same boat.

Meanwhile, the Libyan navy said it rescued 35 migrants, including five women and one child, on Tuesday off the western coast near Abu Kamash, roughly 156 kilometers west of Tripoli. The rescued individuals were transferred to a reception facility where they received essential aid including food, water, and medical services.

According to the navy, 51 smuggling incidents have been documented so far this year, with 3,480 migrants of diverse nationalities intercepted.

Since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that ousted Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has served as a key departure point for migrants attempting to reach Europe. In the aftermath, the country has descended into political fragmentation and lawlessness, allowing smuggling operations to thrive. As a result, migrants are frequently subjected to dire detention conditions and recurrent shipwrecks in the Mediterranean.

Libya remains politically divided between the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity and an eastern faction aligned with Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army.

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