In yet another devastation off the Mediterranean, the first in the year 2021, at least 43 Africans have died in a shipwreck on the Mediterranean, off Libyan coast
Libya, which has long been a risky route to Europe for many Africans, has been the death of thousands of immigrants.
The United Nations Refugee Agency revealed that it was able to rescue at least 10 people from the wreck. The rescue operation was done in partnership with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
“The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency are deeply saddened by a tragic shipwreck off the Libyan coast on January 19, the first in 2021 in the Central Mediterranean, which claimed the lives of at least 43 people. According to IOM and the International Rescue Committee (IRC), UNHCR’s partner on the ground, 10 survivors were rescued and brought to shore by Coastal Security in Zwara,” it said.
“The boat, which embarked in the early hours of Tuesday from the city of Zawya, reportedly capsized due to bad sea conditions when its engine stopped, just a few hours after departure. Survivors, mainly from Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Ghana, and The Gambia, reported that those who perished were all men from the West African countries.
“IOM staff and UNHCR’s partner, IRC, provided them with emergency assistance, including food, water and medical screenings, before they were released from the port.
“Hundreds of people lost their lives last year attempting to cross the Central Mediterranean, where the highest number of fatalities along a single migration journey worldwide occurred. IOM and UNHCR fear that due to the limited ability to monitor routes, the actual number of people who perished in the Central Mediterranean during 2020, could be much higher.”
Hundreds of lives were lost on the Mediterranean in 2020, with most of them being West Africans seeking to enter Europe through the long and dangerous Libyan coast.
