Tripoli, November 12 (Darfur24)
The United Nations announced that dozens of migrants and refugees died in the Mediterranean Sea off the Libyan coast after a boat carrying them capsized earlier this month during an illegal migration attempt to Europe.
In a statement released Tuesday, the UN said 42 people lost their lives in the incident, including 29 Sudanese refugees, while seven others survived, among them four Sudanese.
According to sources close to the victims’ families, the rubber boat carrying around 50 people departed from the Libyan city of Zuwara on November 3 but lost contact shortly after setting sail.
Emad Ezz El-Din, a relative of one of the survivors, told Darfur24 that the boat sank a few hours after departure due to high waves, heavy rain, and strong winds. Among those on board were three children and two women.
So far, Libyan authorities have not issued an official statement regarding the incident or its circumstances.
Similar tragedies have occurred in recent months. Last December, 74 refugees, mostly Sudanese, drowned when their boat capsized, leaving only 13 survivors. Another incident last October claimed the lives of 18 migrants, while 91 others were rescued off the coast of Tobruk, according to the Libyan Coast Guard.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that the Libyan Coast Guard intercepted 568 migrants between November 2 and 8, returning them to Libya. The IOM added that 23,513 migrants have been intercepted and returned to Libyan shores between January and November 2025, compared to 21,762 in 2024 and 17,190 in 2023.
According to the latest figures from the UNHCR in September, Libya currently hosts about 357,000 Sudanese refugees, 193,000 in Al-Kufra near the Sudanese border, 80,000 in Tripoli, and 10,000 in Benghazi.
Other concentrations include Misrata (7,248), Zawiya (6,190), and Jafara (20,443). In eastern Libya, Derna hosts 5,642 refugees, Tobruk 5,768, and the Green Mountain area 3,822.