Nearly 100 Sudanese migrants are dead or missing after two boat disasters off Libya’s coast, with one vessel capsizing and another catching fire en route.
Nearly 100 Sudanese migrants have died or gone missing in two separate maritime disasters off Libya’s coast, international agencies confirmed on Wednesday.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said the first tragedy occurred on Saturday when a boat carrying 74 people, mostly Sudanese, capsized. Only 13 survivors were rescued, while dozens remain unaccounted for.
On Sunday, a second boat carrying 75 Sudanese migrants caught fire while heading toward Greece. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least 50 people were killed.
The IOM reported that so far this year, at least 456 migrants have died and 420 remain missing along the dangerous central Mediterranean route.
Officials and rights groups note that Libya has become a key transit point for migrants seeking to reach Europe, often through overcrowded and unsafe vessels.
Humanitarian organizations warn that the risks extend beyond the sea crossings. Many migrants in Libya face forced labor, extortion, and severe human rights abuses.
The latest tragedies highlight both the worsening plight of Sudanese refugees fleeing conflict and the urgent need for coordinated international action to protect vulnerable migrants.
