TRIPOLI, Libya: At least eleven migrants died at sea and another 263 were rescued on Sunday in two separate operations off the coast of Libya, the country’s navy said.
In the first operation, “a coast guard patrol... was able to rescue 83 illegal migrants and recovered 11 bodies in a rubber boat five nautical miles northeast of Sabratha,” navy spokesman General Ayoub Kacem told AFP.
Sabratha is about 70 kilometers (40 miles) west of Tripoli.
“The 11 dead migrants drowned when the dinghy overturned but were recovered by the survivors and hoisted into the boat,” said Mohamad Erhouma, a member of the nearby city of Zawiyah’s coast guard.
The second rescue operation took place off the coast of Zliten in the country’s east, where 180 migrants were rescued from two boats, according to General Kacem.
Zliten is about 170 kilometers (100 miles) east of Tripoli.
The migrants, of different African nationalities, “were aboard two inflatable boats when they were intercepted and then brought back to the port of Tripoli,” he said.
Since the 2011 fall and killing of longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi, Libya has become a key launch pad for migrants making desperate bids to reach Europe, often on unseaworthy vessels.
Last year alone, 3,116 people died attempting the crossing, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), including 2,833 from Libya.
The conflict-riven country is regularly singled out for the exploitation and ill-treatment of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa.
11 migrants dead, 263 rescued off Libya coast
11 migrants dead, 263 rescued off Libya coast
- The dead migrants drowned when their dinghy overturned, say rescuers
- Libya has become a key launch pad for migrants making desperate bids to reach Europe, often on unseaworthy vessels
Denmark supports Palestinian refugees’ UN agency with over $16m
- ‘UNRWA is an indispensable lifeline for Palestinians in Gaza & the region,’ the Danish foreign minister said
- In 2023, Denmark and UNRWA signed a 5-year support agreement totaling $75.2m between 2023 and 2027
LONDON: Denmark announced on Tuesday the disbursement of all planned funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, amounting to over €14 million ($16.54 million) for 2026.
“UNRWA is an indispensable lifeline for Palestinians in Gaza & the region,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen wrote on X.
He added: “Continued support is essential especially with UNRWA under intense pressure. Urge more to follow.”
In 2023, Denmark and UNRWA signed a five-year support agreement totaling $75.2 million between 2023 and 2027, with an annual contribution of around $15.2 million (DKK 105 million).
The funding comes after Israeli authorities recently demolished UNRWA’s headquarters in Jerusalem and stormed its premises in the occupied West Bank on several occasions. Britain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Portugal, and Spain condemned the demolition.
Israeli forces bombed and destroyed several UNRWA buildings in the Gaza Strip, accusing the agency of employing Hamas members involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. UNRWA stated that Israel has not provided evidence for its accusations, which have endangered UNRWA staff and harmed the organization’s reputation.
The Danish contribution will support UNRWA’s essential services for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. The agency employs 12,000 people in the Palestinian territories, and its health care, education, and social protection services are vital to Palestinians.
