Tripoli, December 5 (Darfur24)
A Sudanese refugee family of seven reportedly died of suffocation in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on Wednesday, after inhaling fumes from a charcoal-powered heater, sources told Darfur24.
According to the official death report and a letter issued by the Badr Police Station, signed by the station chief, Major Hamza Amhamed Akash, and addressed to the Sudanese Embassy in Libya, the seven family members died as a result of the incident.
Among the victims are a man and his four children, all below the age of ten.
The Badr Police Station stated in its letter, a copy of which was obtained by Darfur24, that officers took immediate preliminary measures upon receiving the report. The bodies were transferred to Dar Al-Rahma at Tiji Hospital to complete the remaining procedures required for burial.
Ahmed Mohamed Khaled, a member of the Sudanese community in Libya, told Darfur24 that the rise in suffocation-related deaths is largely due to a lack of awareness about the safe use of heating appliances. He noted that many refugees struggle to cope with the cold winter temperatures and high humidity, leading them to purchase heaters without understanding safety instructions.
Khaled urged members of the Sudanese community not to leave heaters, especially charcoal-burning ones, running while they sleep, advising the use of blankets as a safer temporary alternative.
At the beginning of January this year, five members of a Sudanese family died in the Sidi Khalifa area of Benghazi after suffocating from fumes produced by a charcoal stove inside a tightly closed room during a period of severe cold, when temperatures dropped below 10°C. Only the parents and a young child survived.
In December last year, local health authorities in the municipality of Ajdabiya in eastern Libya announced the discovery of the bodies of five Sudanese family members inside their home. They had died of suffocation after using an electric heater in a sealed room with no ventilation.
According to the latest statistics released by UNHCR in September, Libya hosts approximately 357,000 Sudanese refugees. These include 193,000 in the border municipality of Al-Kufra, 80,000 in the capital Tripoli, and 10,000 in Benghazi. Misrata hosts more than 7,248 refugees, Zawiya 6,190, and Jafara 20,443. In eastern Libya, Derna and other municipalities also host significant numbers of Sudanese refugees.
