A shipwreck off the Libyan coast claimed the lives of 43 refugees, UN refugee organizations said in a joint press release on Wednesday
UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th January, 2021) A shipwreck off the Libyan coast claimed the lives of 43 refugees, UN refugee organizations said in a joint press release on Wednesday.
"The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, are deeply saddened by a tragic shipwreck off the Libyan coast yesterday (19/01), the first of 2021 in the Central Mediterranean, which claimed the lives of at least 43 people," the release said.
Ten survivors were rescued by Libyan security officials and taken to the coastal city of Zwara, where the UN provided food, water and medical screenings, the release said.
The boat reportedly capsized due to bad weather conditions just a few hours after departure, the release said.
The survivors, including from Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Ghana and Gambia, reported that those who died were all men from West African countries, the release said.
Hundreds of African refugees died last year while attempting to cross the Central Mediterranean from Libya to Europe.
The release recommended restoring state-led efforts to supplement private aid groups that monitor the dangerous migration route.
