A hundred migrants who have attempted the crossing to Europe from Libya are drifting on a makeshift boat in the Mediterranean and risk being wrecked, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned on Monday. "About 95 migrants drift […] and risk drowning, after trying to flee," according to a tweet from the UN agency, which did not give more details.
About 95 migrants continue to drift in the central Mediterranean, at the risk of drowning, after trying to flee warring Libya.
"A scandalous policy of non-assistance persists," denounces @msehlisafa, spokesperson for @ UNmigration https://t.co/HT2htdBUtn
“Governments and ships have a legal and moral obligation to respond to any distress call at sea,” emphasizes IOM. The migrants "have been at sea for at least 37 hours and sending distress calls," said IOM spokeswoman Safa Msehli, urging relief workers to respond. "Inaction is inexcusable," she insisted.
Chaotic situation in Libya
More than 100,000 migrants attempted to cross the Mediterranean in 2019 and more than 1,200 perished at sea, according to the agency. The arrival of summer and more favorable conditions at sea have revived the attempts of migrants who are also fleeing terrible conditions in Libya, a country plunged into chaos since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011.
The situation of migrants has worsened further since the launch of an offensive on Tripoli by the strongman of eastern Libya, Marshal Khalifa Haftar, and by the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic. Migrant departures from the Libyan coast increased by nearly 300% between January and April 2020, compared to the same period in 2019, according to the UN.
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