Libya: Migrant boat capsizes leaving 53 dead

A tragic incident unfolded off the coast of Libya last week when a rubber dinghy carrying 55 migrants capsized in the central Mediterranean, leaving 53 people dead or missing.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) confirmed that the vessel overturned north of Zuwara on 6 February, with only two survivors rescued by Libyan authorities.

Among the victims were two babies, underscoring the devastating human toll of the perilous migration route across the Mediterranean.

The two survivors, both Nigerian women, shared harrowing accounts of their losses. One reported losing her husband in the disaster, while the other said she lost her two children.

They were provided medical care by IOM following their rescue. These testimonies highlight the immense suffering endured by migrants who risk everything in search of safety and opportunity, only to face unimaginable tragedy at sea.

This latest shipwreck is part of a broader pattern of deadly incidents along the central Mediterranean route, one of the world’s most dangerous migration corridors.

Smuggling gangs, which have thrived in Libya since the collapse of state authority after the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, continue to exploit vulnerable people.

Migrants are often subjected to mistreatment, trafficking, and extortion before being forced onto unsafe vessels bound for Europe.

The IOM has expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life and renewed its call for urgent international action to address the crisis.

Humanitarian organisations stress the need for stronger search-and-rescue operations, safer migration pathways, and measures to dismantle smuggling networks.

Without such interventions, the Mediterranean will remain a graveyard for countless migrants seeking refuge and a better future.