By Sami Zaptia.
London, 12 October 2016:
The International Organization for Migration’s Assistance Overview for the period 23 September to 6 October reports that 142,725 arrivals were recorded by sea to Italy through the Central Mediterranean route, whereby 95 migrants were recorded between 25 September and 2 October.
This represents a 93 percent decrease from the week before when 1,454 were arrivals were reported. The main countries of origin are Nigeria, Eritrea and Guinea, the report says.
On the same route, as of 6 October, 3,134 deaths were recorded in 2016, 79 so far in the month of October. The number of fatalities in 2016 remains higher than the same period last year when 2,785 deaths were recorded along the Central Mediterranean route between January and October 2015.
The migrants continue making the perilous journey at great risk, travelling under precarious conditions and on ill-equipped boats, leaving them highly vulnerable to both arduous travel and exploitation of organized criminal networks along the way, the IOM report states.
The Libyan Coast Guard rescued 14,017 migrants up to 6 October and reported the main maritime incidents recorded in Libya as the following:
On 28 September: 18 bodies were retrieved in Tobruk by the LCG;
On 2 October: the LCG rescued 800 migrants on 5 boats at Zawia refinery port. The migrants received non-food items and hygiene kits through IOM local partners.
On 3 October: the LCG rescued 139 migrants in Garabouli. The rescued migrants were suffering from bad health conditions but received the necessary treatment upon arrival. In addition, 11 bodies were retrieved (nine women and two children) at shore.
Another 22 migrants were rescued by the LCG in Sabrata.
In addition, 240 migrants, on two boats, were rescued and transferred to Al Nasr detention centre with the help of IOM partners.
On 4 October: 138 migrants were rescued by the LCG outside Zuwara, west of Tripoli. The rescued migrants were transferred to Surman detention centre. In addition, 20 bodies were retrieved by a charity boat on the shores of Tripoli.
On 5 October: 96 migrants were rescued by LCG outside Zuwara. In addition, three bodies (two women and one child) were retrieved on the shores of Zuwara.
The IOM report also said that between 23 September – 6 October, non-food items and hygiene kits were distributed, with the support of IOM Libya’s implementing partners STACO, Ayadi Al Khair and Multakana to a total of 1,651 vulnerable migrants across Libya. The distributions were funded by ECHO and DFID.
The distribution took place:
On 26 September to 200 migrants outside the detention centre in Tajoura; on 26 September to 256 migrants at Surman detention centre; on 27 September to 83 migrants at Abou Essa detention centre; on 30 September to 400 migrants outside Sabha detention centre; on 30 September to 130 migrants at Tobruk detention centre; on 30 September to 482 migrants at Al-Shook detention centre; and on 4 October to 100 migrants in Qasr Bin Ghashir detention centre.
