UN Reports Tragic Loss of Migrants in Shipwreck Off Libya, Highlighting Ongoing Risks
The United Nations' International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported a tragic incident involving a migrant boat that sank off the coast of Libya, resulting in at least 53 people dead or missing. The boat, carrying 55 African migrants, departed from Zawaiya, Libya, and capsized approximately six hours later near Zuwara. Among the victims were two babies, and only two Nigerian women survived the ordeal. This incident underscores the perilous conditions faced by migrants attempting to reach Europe via the central Mediterranean route. The IOM highlighted the exploitation by trafficking networks that profit from sending migrants on unseaworthy vessels. Libya remains a key transit point for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East, despite the country's ongoing instability since the 2011 uprising that ousted Moammar Gadhafi. 
