The U.N. migration agency said the bodies of 27 migrants believed to have died of thirst have been found in the Chadian desert.
Reports indicate that migrants reportedly left Moussoro, a town in West-Central Chad, 17 months ago in a truck, the IOM said in a statement.
The truck missed its track, broke down due to mechanical issues, and the migrants died of thirst, said the UN-affiliated migration organisation.
“We are deeply saddened by this most recent tragedy and extend our heartfelt condolences to the migrants’ families,” said Anne Kathrin Schaefer, IOM Chad Chief of Mission.
Chad, a major route for migrants across North and Central Africa hosts about 300,000 refugees in 17 refugee camps and 160,000 internally displaced persons in the eastern and southern parts of the country.
The forced migration has been blamed mainly on conflict and general insecurity in western Sudan, eastern Chad, and parts of the Central African Republic.
The IOM states that food insecurity, failed harvests, and poor rains have impacted migration patterns.
At least 110 migrant deaths have been recorded within Chad since 2014, including this latest incident.
These numbers are likely higher, as many migrant deaths go unnoticed and unreported, leaving families worried and without answers about their loved ones.
The IOM reported in June, the bodies of 20 Chadians and Libyans were found in the Libyan desert in Koufra, a town located along the Chad-Libya border.
