A total of 125 children, including 114 unaccompanied children, were rescued this week in the Central Mediterranean migration route off the coast of Libya, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement on Friday
UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th April, 2021) A total of 125 children, including 114 unaccompanied children, were rescued this week in the Central Mediterranean migration route off the coast of Libya, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement on Friday.
"This week, 125 children, including 114 unaccompanied children, were rescued at sea, off the coast of Libya," the statement said.
UNICEF said this year, at least 350 people have already drowned or gone missing in the Central Mediterranean, which is considered one of the deadliest migration routes in the world. Some 130 migrants have died while trying to reach Europe just last week.
According to the UN agency, migrants who get rescued at sea are sent to overcrowded detention facilities in Libya with no or limited access to health services. Nearly 1,100 children are currently in these centers.
UNICEF urged Libya to release all children and end detention and called on the European authorities on the Central Mediterranean to receive migrants and strengthen search and rescue mechanisms.
