"Shipwreck near Libya could be 'worst Mediterranean tragedy' of the year"

Tunis: A shipwreck off the coast of Libya could be the worst Mediterranean tragedy of the year according to the UN refugee agency (UNCHR).

According to reports, around 150 people were killed when the boat capsized.

In a statement, UNHCR spokesperson Charlie Yaxley told members of the press, "Should the toll of 150 lives lost be confirmed, yesterday’s shipwreck will be the biggest known incident since May 2017. Even before this incident, 669 deaths had been reported on the Mediterranean Sea so far in 2019."

Yaxley said the disaster underscores "the terrible urgency of our repeated pleas to European and other governments for restoring sea rescues and help with alleviating the suffering of the thousands of refugees and migrants caught in the conflict in Libya."

UNHCR urged countries to come forward with additional help, including further resettlement places and other safe pathways out of Libya for people who are vulnerable and at risk.

The UN agency said such actions are as important as sea rescues for saving lives.

"In addition, more must be done to arrest and prosecute the ruthless traffickers and smugglers who profit from people's desperation, and overturn the business model on which they rely," said Yaxley.

At the same UN briefing, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported deaths recorded on the three main Mediterranean Sea routes through almost seven months of 2019 stood at 686 individuals.

That is about 45 percent of the 1,508 deaths confirmed during the same period in 2018.

"These fatality figures, however, do not include casualties from a shipwreck reported off Libya late Thursday," said IOM spokesperson Joel Millman.

He said some of the countries 50 survivors said they were from included Eritrea, Sudan, Palestine and Bangladesh.
Several children were reportedly drowned.

"All were travelling with between 250 and 300 people who left Libya this week," said the IOM spokesperson.