IOM-UNHCR: at least 45 migrants dead off Libya

2020-08-19T17:49:14.209Z

IOM and UNHCR urge urgent action after 45 people lost their lives in what is the most tragic shipwreck recorded off the Libyan coast in 2020. The International Organization for Migration and the UN Refugee Agency express profound grief over the tragic death of at least 45 migrants and refugees on August 17, in what is the largest shipwreck off the Libyan coast this year. Some 37 survivors, mainly from Senegal, Mali, Chad and Ghana, were rescued by local fishermen and placed in detention after landing. They told IOM staff that another 45 people, including five minors, lost their lives when the boat's engine exploded off the coast of Zuara. Following this latest tragic incident, the two organizations appeal for a review of the approach of states to the management of relief efforts in the Mediterranean. Current search and rescue capabilities to respond to distress calls need to be urgently strengthened, a statement said.