Latest news with #OthmanBelbeisi
Arab News
2 days ago
- General
- Arab News
At least 60 migrants, including Pakistanis and Egyptians, feared dead after Libya shipwrecks
TRIPOLI, Libya: At least 60 migrants including Pakistanis and Egyptians are feared dead after a pair of shipwrecks off the coast of Libya over the past week, according to the International Organization for Migration. The first ship went down on June 12 near a Libyan port in Tripoli, with 21 people, including women and children, reported missing and only five survivors found, the IOM said in a statement Tuesday. Those lost at sea included Eritrean, Pakistani, Egyptian and Sudanese nationals. The second wreck took place about 35 kilometers (20 miles) off the port city of Tobruk, with the sole survivor reporting 39 people lost at sea, according to the UN body. 'With dozens feared dead and entire families left in anguish, IOM is once again urging the international community to scale up search and rescue operations and guarantee safe, predictable disembarkation for survivors,' said Othman Belbeisi, the IOM's regional director for the Middle East and North Africa. According to the statement, at least 743 people have died so far this year trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe. The deadly route, it said, is 'marked by increasingly dangerous smuggling practices, limited rescue capacity and growing restrictions on humanitarian operations.' As of June 15, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, migrant landings on the Italian coast were up 15 percent year on year, with most originating in Libya.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- General
- Express Tribune
At least 60 feared dead in twin migrant shipwrecks off Libya
Listen to article At least 60 migrants are feared dead after a pair of shipwrecks off the coast of Libya over the past week, according to the International Organization for Migration. The first ship went down on June 12 near a Libyan port in Tripoli, with 21 people, including women and children, reported missing and only five survivors found, the IOM said in a statement Tuesday. Those lost at sea included Eritrean, Pakistani, Egyptian and Sudanese nationals. The second wreck took place about 35 kilometres (20 miles) off the port city of Tobruk, with the sole survivor reporting 39 people lost at sea, according to the UN body. Read More: UN says 427 Rohingya feared dead in May shipwrecks "With dozens feared dead and entire families left in anguish, IOM is once again urging the international community to scale up search and rescue operations and guarantee safe, predictable disembarkation for survivors," said Othman Belbeisi, the IOM's regional director for the Middle East and North Africa. According to the statement, at least 743 people have died so far this year trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe. The deadly route, it said, is "marked by increasingly dangerous smuggling practices, limited rescue capacity and growing restrictions on humanitarian operations". As of June 15, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, migrant landings on the Italian coast were up 15 percent year on year, with most originating in Libya.
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Business Recorder
Five Pakistanis feared dead after shipwreck off the coast of Libya
At least five Pakistanis are feared dead in a shipwreck near Alshab port in Tripolitania, off the coast of Libya. As per the International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least 60 refugees and migrants are feared missing and drowned at sea after two shipwrecks off the coast of Libya, while six survived the wreck. Two more bodies of Libya boat tragedy arrive 'With dozens feared dead and entire families left in anguish, IOM is once again urging the international community to scale up search and rescue operations and guarantee safe, predictable disembarkation for survivors,' said Othman Belbeisi, Regional Director for Middle East and North Africa (MENA). 'We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and all those affected.' On 12 June, 21 people were reported missing after a shipwreck near Alshab port in Tripolitania, where only five survivors were found, said the press release. 'Among those feared dead are six Eritreans, including three women and three children, five Pakistanis, four Egyptians, and two Sudanese men. The identities of four others remain unknown.' The IOM added that the second tragedy occurred on June 13, approximately 35 kilometres west of Tobruk. 'According to the sole survivor, who was rescued by fishermen, 39 people were lost at sea. In the days that followed, three bodies washed ashore: two on Umm Aqiqih beach on 14 June and another on Elramla beach in downtown Tobruk on 15 June. Identification efforts are ongoing, with support from members of the Sudanese community.' So far in 2025, at least 743 people have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, including 538 on the Central Mediterranean route alone. On April 12, four Pakistani nationals died in a boat capsizing incident off the Harawa coast near Sirte City in eastern Libya. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed to launch an all-out war on the shadowy underworld of human trafficker. The PM vowed to take decisive action to dismantle trafficking networks operating with alarming impunity.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
At least 60 people ‘feared dead' after shipwrecks off the coast of Libya
At least 60 refugees and migrants are feared missing and drowned at sea after two shipwrecks off the coast of Libya, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has said, after attempting the perilous crossing to Europe. 'With dozens feared dead and entire families left in anguish, IOM is once again urging the international community to scale up search and rescue operations and guarantee safe, predictable disembarkation for survivors,' Othman Belbeisi, the regional director for the Middle East and North Africa. One shipwreck occurred on June 12 near Alshab port in Tripolitania, the United Nations agency said. Only five survivors were found and 21 people were reported missing. Among those feared dead are six Eritreans, including three women and three children, five Pakistanis, four Egyptians and two Sudanese men. The identities of four others remain unknown. The second incident occurred on June 13, approximately 35km (22 miles) west of Libya's Tobruk. According to the sole survivor, who was rescued by fishermen, 39 people are missing. At least 743 people have died so far this year attempting to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, including 538 on the Central Mediterranean route, which remains the deadliest known migration route in the world. In recent years, the European Union has increased efforts to reduce such migration, including by providing equipment and financial support to the Libyan coastguard, a quasi-military organisation linked to militias accused of abuses and other crimes. NGOs say the phasing out of state-run search and rescue operations has made journeys across the Mediterranean more dangerous. They have also denounced what they see as punitive action by states against charities operating in the Mediterranean. As a result, many people fleeing conflict and persecution have found themselves stranded in Libya, often held in detention in conditions that rights groups describe as inhumane. Libya, which is still struggling to recover from years of war and chaos after the 2011 NATO-backed overthrow of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi, has been criticised for its treatment of refugees and migrants. Accusations from rights groups range from extortion to slavery, while smugglers and human traffickers have also taken advantage of the climate of instability in the country.
Libya Review
3 days ago
- General
- Libya Review
Dozens Feared Dead as Migrant Boats Sink Near Libyan Coast
On Tuesday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirmed two tragic shipwrecks off Libya's coast in recent days, with at least 60 migrants feared missing. Survivors were given emergency care by IOM teams upon arrival. 'These tragedies have left families devastated,' said Othman Belbeisi, IOM's Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa. 'We urge the international community to intensify search and rescue efforts and ensure safe, predictable disembarkation for survivors. Our thoughts are with all those affected.' The first shipwreck occurred on June 12 near Alshab port in western Libya. Only five people were rescued. Twenty-one others remain missing, including six Eritreans—three of whom were children—five Pakistanis, four Egyptians, and two Sudanese men. The nationalities of the four others are still unknown. The second shipwreck happened a day later, on June 13, roughly 35 kilometers west of Tobruk. One man survived, rescued by local fishermen. He reported that 39 people were lost at sea. Over the following days, three bodies washed ashore—two on Umm Aqiqih beach on June 14 and one on Elramla beach in Tobruk the next day. Identification efforts are ongoing, with support from members of the Sudanese community. So far in 2025, at least 743 people have died trying to cross the Mediterranean. Of those, 538 died on the Central Mediterranean route, which continues to be the world's deadliest path for migrants. Smugglers are using increasingly dangerous methods, while search and rescue operations remain under-equipped and humanitarian aid efforts face growing restrictions. IOM's Search and Rescue programme in Libya provides immediate assistance to survivors of shipwrecks and desert rescues. The organization also supports local authorities by equipping them with the tools needed to respond to migration emergencies. Globally, IOM's Missing Migrants Project has recorded over 75,000 deaths and disappearances since 2014. More than half occurred in or near crisis-affected countries, highlighting the connection between displacement, insecurity, and the absence of legal migration routes. Tags: europeIOMlibyaLibyan Coastsmigrants
