By In the Mediterranean Sea, at least 2,452 migrants or refugees died or went missing last year.
At least 50 people have died after a vessel carrying 75 Sudanese refugees caught fire near the Libyan coast on Sunday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said.
The United Nations migration agency added on Tuesday that it has provided medical support to 24 survivors. “Urgent action is needed to end such tragedies at sea,” IOM’s Libya chapter posted on X.
Last month, at least 68 refugees and migrants died and dozens went missing after a boat capsized off Yemen, according to the IOM.
At least 2,452 migrants or refugees died or went missing in the Mediterranean Sea last year, making it one of the deadliest routes for refugees.
Libya has become a key transit route for those trying to reach Europe since the fall of leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. During his rule, African migrants found work in the oil-rich country, but since his ouster, Libya has been engulfed in armed conflict among rival militias.
The country is now home to around 867,055 migrants.
