A rubber boat carrying 55 passengers, including two babies, has overturned off the coast of Libya, the UN migration agency says. The only survivors, two Nigerian women, were rescued by the Libyan authorities on Friday, as announced by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) on Monday. The boat capsized after taking on water approximately six hours after departing from the coastal city of al-Zawiya, located in north-western Libya.
The IOM reports that close to 500 migrants have been reported dead or missing while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Libya so far this year, 2026. Libya has emerged as a significant departure point for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa seeking to reach Europe since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
The rubber dinghy left al-Zawiya at around 23:00 local time, only to sink several hours later north of Zuwara. The circumstances surrounding the delayed emergence of news regarding this incident remain unclear. Survivors shared their harrowing experiences, with one woman reporting the loss of her husband and the other mourning the deaths of her two babies. Emergency medical care was subsequently provided to both women.
The IOM documents that at least 375 migrants were reported dead or missing in January alone, attributed to a spate of 'invisible' shipwrecks in the central Mediterranean, exacerbated by extreme winter weather. Despite the tragedies, migrants continue to risk the perilous journey across the sea.
Conditions for migrants in Libya are dire, as UN human rights officials have warned of torture, trafficking, and abuse. Traffickers and smuggling networks profit from overloaded and unseaworthy vessels, contributing to the rising death toll at sea. The agency has called for increased international cooperation to dismantle these networks and establish safer migration routes. Many sunken vessels go unreported, leaving families of lost migrants without closure.
Several countries have urged Libya to shut down detention centers known for their human rights abuses. The ongoing humanitarian crisis demands urgent attention as the international community grapples with the complex issues surrounding migration and human rights.
The IOM reports that close to 500 migrants have been reported dead or missing while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Libya so far this year, 2026. Libya has emerged as a significant departure point for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa seeking to reach Europe since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
The rubber dinghy left al-Zawiya at around 23:00 local time, only to sink several hours later north of Zuwara. The circumstances surrounding the delayed emergence of news regarding this incident remain unclear. Survivors shared their harrowing experiences, with one woman reporting the loss of her husband and the other mourning the deaths of her two babies. Emergency medical care was subsequently provided to both women.
The IOM documents that at least 375 migrants were reported dead or missing in January alone, attributed to a spate of 'invisible' shipwrecks in the central Mediterranean, exacerbated by extreme winter weather. Despite the tragedies, migrants continue to risk the perilous journey across the sea.
Conditions for migrants in Libya are dire, as UN human rights officials have warned of torture, trafficking, and abuse. Traffickers and smuggling networks profit from overloaded and unseaworthy vessels, contributing to the rising death toll at sea. The agency has called for increased international cooperation to dismantle these networks and establish safer migration routes. Many sunken vessels go unreported, leaving families of lost migrants without closure.
Several countries have urged Libya to shut down detention centers known for their human rights abuses. The ongoing humanitarian crisis demands urgent attention as the international community grapples with the complex issues surrounding migration and human rights.
