A news report published by Agence France-Presse cited the International Organization for Migration’s position on the capsizing of an illegal migration boat off the Libyan coast, confirming that 42 of its passengers are missing and presumed dead.
The report, followed by Al-Marsad newspaper, clarified that fatal drowning incidents in the central Mediterranean have claimed the lives of more than a thousand people this year, noting that this incident occurs amidst increasing risks on the sea migration route.
According to the report, seven survivors were rescued after being at sea for six days. An IOM spokesperson was quoted as saying that some individuals wore life jackets, while others clung to the capsized boat, which had departed from the city of Zuwara on November 3rd with 47 men and two women on board.
The spokesperson said that high waves caused the boat’s engine to fail about six hours after setting sail. After the passengers drifted at sea for six days, only four men from Sudan, two from Nigeria, and one from Cameroon were rescued. 29 Sudanese, 8 Somalis, 3 Cameroonians, and two Nigerians are still counted among the dead.
The spokesperson continued that the organization’s staff provided emergency medical care, food, and water to the survivors upon their arrival ashore. They were later transferred to the capital, Tripoli, and their health condition is very good considering the ordeal they went through, with the exception of suffering from skin irritation caused by saltwater.
The spokesperson concluded by saying that regional cooperation must be strengthened, safe and regular migration pathways expanded, and more effective search and rescue operations conducted to prevent further loss of life. Meanwhile, a European Commission spokesperson stated that these tragic events underscore the need to intensify joint efforts with partners, including Libya, to prevent dangerous journeys and combat smuggling networks.
Juan Matias Gil, a search and rescue representative for Doctors Without Borders (MSF), said the organization has returned to its duty of rescuing those who find themselves in distress at sea, forced onto unseaworthy boats after suffering from dire, inhumane conditions, detention, abuse, and extortion in Libya.
Matias Gil added that the organization has a medical team, including a doctor and a nurse, capable of treating people for hypothermia, fuel inhalation, and burns, in addition to injuries resulting from the cycle of abuse and detention in Libya.