The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that Libyan authorities rescued 125 children en route to Europe by boat off the Libyan coast, confirming that most were placed in detention centers. There were 114 unaccompanied minors among the rescued children from the hazardous sea route to Europe, according to UNICEF “The majority of those rescued were sent to overcrowded detention centers in Libya, where they were kept in deplorable conditions with minimal or no access to water or sanitation. Today, almost 1,100 children are housed in these institutions.”“The Mediterranean Sea remains one of the deadliest and most dangerous migration routes in the world,” UNICEF said, urging Libyan authorities to free all children and end migrant detention. According to the UN, at least 350 people, including children and women, have drowned or vanished in the Mediterranean while attempting to leave Libya and reach European shores since the beginning of this year. Last week, 130 migrants headed for Europe were lost in the Mediterranean off the coast of Libya in the worst boating accident of the year.

Source: Libya Today May 02, 2021 08:50 UTC