Sixty-one individuals died, including women and children, after a migrant vessel capsized off the coast of Libya Thursday night, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The incident took place in the Mediterranean Sea, which has been notorious for claiming thousands of lives, according to IOM. The vessel was reportedly carrying 86 people on board.
“The central Mediterranean continues to be one of the world’s most dangerous migration routes,” IOM said in a statement. The migrants on board reached out to Alarm Phone, a hotline for migrants in emergencies, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Despite their pleas, the Libyan coastguard reportedly declined to initiate a search, leaving the migrants to fend for themselves in the treacherous sea.
🚨 61 migrants including women and children drowned following a tragic shipwreck off Libya. According to the survivors, the boat with around 86 people left the libyan shores from Zwara. The central Mediterranean continues to be one of the world’s most dangerous migration routes. pic.twitter.com/RsFSUzzFYK
— IOM Libya (@IOM_Libya) December 16, 2023
Libya has become the primary transit point for those fleeing conflicts and poverty in Africa and the Middle East, according to the AP. The situation worsened after the NATO-backed uprising in 2011, which led to the downfall of Muammar Gaddafi and subsequent chaos in the nation. (RELATED: 26 Die After Wind Causes Boat To Capsize In The Philippines: REPORT)
Flavio Di Giacomo of the IOM lamented the high death toll on the central European migration route and highlighted the inadequate efforts in maritime rescue, according to the AP. The IOM’s missing migrants project recorded alarming statistics: in 2023 alone, over 2,250 people died, and hundreds are still missing in the perilous waters near Libya.
Human traffickers exploit Libya’s instability, subjecting migrants to horrific conditions, the AP reported. Those captured and returned to Libya face abuse and extortion in government-run detention centers, condemned as crimes against humanity by U.N. investigators.