Latest boat tragedy off Libya adds to rising death toll in Mediterranean
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
A Syrian mother and her two children (ages three and six) are among the latest people to have perished while attempting to cross the Mediterranean from Libya.
The Libyan coast guard informed UNHCR on Monday (7 July) that it had recovered 12 bodies from a boat accident believed to have occurred on Sunday (6 July), including three Syrians, three Eritrean nationals and six other Africans of as yet undetermined nationalities. The boat, which had a capacity of about 200 passengers and may have been carrying many more people, is reported to have capsized off the coast of Tripoli. Search and rescue operations are ongoing and the fate of others who may have been aboard the vessel is unknown.
With this latest tragedy, some 217 people are believed to have drowned off the Libyan coast so far in 2014 while trying to cross the Mediterranean. This in addition to at least another 290 people confirmed dead or missing from boat accidents in the waters off Italy, Turkey and Greece, bringing the death toll in the Mediterranean so far this year to over 500 people.
UNHCR applauds search and rescue operations by government authorities but asks that such operations are further strengthened - particularly in areas with high concentrations of boat crossings. We are also urging States worldwide to look at providing legal alternatives to dangerous sea journeys - such as increased family reunification, speedy resettlement and humanitarian admissions. Governments are additionally being encouraged to resist punitive or deterrent measures including detention for people seeking safety.
Almost 37,000 asylum-seekers and refugees are registered with UNHCR's Tripoli and Benghazi officers, with Syrians making up the largest group (18,655) followed by Eritreans (4,673), Somalis (2,380) and Iraqis (3,105). However, not all asylum-seekers are registered. Many asylum-seekers live in precarious conditions - such as over-crowded accommodations with little legal access to employment and have been affected and further displaced by the current unrest in Libya.
For more information on this topic, please contact:
- In Geneva, Adrian Edwards on mobile +41 79 557 9120
- In Geneva, Ariane Rummery on mobile +41 79 200 7617
- in Tunisia, Dunnapar Fern Tilakamonkul on mobile +216 58 335 123
- In Tunisia, Dalia Al Achi on mobile +216 58 335 118
Your search for « libya » matched 2133 results. Only the first 1,000 results are displayed. Displaying page 3 of 112 pages.
-
Revision to the UNHCR Supplementary Budget: The Libya Situation 2011 - 29 March 2011
29 Mar 2011 ... Supplementary Budget: The Libya Situation 2011 Donor Relations and Resource Mobilization Service March 2011 Men queue for food at refugee camp on Tunisian border with Libya. /UNHCR/ Branthwaite 2 THE ...... -
Update No.16 on the humanitarian situation in Libya and the neighbouring countries
4 Apr 2011 ... Update no 16 Humanitarian Situation in Libya and the Neighbouring Countries 4 April 2011 Highlights • The Humanitarian Coordinator for Libya visited Ras Djir at the Tunisian-Libyan border on 2 ...... -
Libyan Red Crescent Society
27 Oct 2011 ... Address: AL-Shat St. Tripoli P.O. Box 541 Benghazi Libya Tel: +218 61 9095202 Fax: +218 61 9095829 Email: libyan[email protected]... -
UNHCR Global Report 2011 - Libya
1 Jun 2012 ... Libya Operational highlights l Following the outbreak of violence in Libya in February 2011 and the subsequent closure of UN offices in Tripoli, UNHCR mobilized two emergency teams to provide ...... -
Evacuation from Libya gives refugees new hope
18 Dec 2017 ... Niger: Evacuation from Libya gives refugees new hope NIAMEY – Rahel*, a 29-year-old Eritrean ... Instead, she found herself detained 11 of the 18 months she spent in Libya. “When UNHCR told me I ...... -
UNHCR Country Operations Plan 2006 - Libya
1 Sep 2005 ... COUNTRY OPERATIONS PLAN Executive Committee Summary Country : Libya Planning Year : 2006 2 2006 Libya Country Operations Plan Part I: Executive Committe Summary (a) Context and Beneficiary ...... -
Protection considerations with regard to people fleeing from Libya - UNHCR's recommendations (as at 29 March 2011)
29 Mar 2011 ... with regard to people fleeing from Libya – UNHCR’s recommendations (as at 29 March 2011) Update No. 1 1. Introduction Thousands of people are fleeing from Libya in the context of escalating ...... -
Update No.4 on the humanitarian situation in Libya and the neighbouring countries
8 Mar 2011 ... Update no 4 Humanitarian Situation in Libya and the Neighbouring Countries 8 March 2011 Highlights • Escalating fighting over the past three days in Libya and hostilities concentrated along the coast ...... -
Update No.6 on the humanitarian situation in Libya and the neighbouring countries
11 Mar 2011 ... Update no 6 Humanitarian Situation in Libya and the Neighbouring Countries 11 March 2011 Highlights • Libya: UNHCR office in Tripoli will restart providing financial assistance to refugees and ......