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UNHCR Update Libya (18 October 2019) [EN/AR]

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Libya
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UNHCR
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Population movements

  • As of 18 October, 7,404 refugees and migrants were rescued/intercepted at sea by the Libyan Coast Guard and disembarked in Libya during 93 sea operations. So far in October, 362 refugees and migrants were disembarked in Libya. This week, 260 refugees and migrants disembarked in Tajoura (179 individuals) and Al Khums (81 individuals). UNHCR and its partner, the International Medical Corps (IMC) provided medical assistance and core-relief items (CRIs) to persons at the disembarkation points. Recently, boats have been departing from areas west of Tripoli near Zwara and east of Tripoli near Garabulli and Al Khums.

UNHCR response

  • UNHCR continues to support urban refugees and asylum-seekers with solutions out of Libya. Next week, 93 refugees will depart to the Emergency Transit Centre (ETC) in Romania before their final resettlement to a third country. These departures are being coordinated with IOM. So far this year, 1,663 refugees departed from Libya including 371 under UNHCR’s resettlement programme and another 1,292 under evacuation.

  • Over 45,700 refugees and asylum-seekers are registered with UNHCR in Libya. The majority of those registered are Syrian (37 percent), Sudanese (26 percent) and Eritrean (14 percent) nationals. So far this year, UNHCR registered 7,600 individuals in urban areas and Libyan detention centres. UNHCR continues to conduct an extensive verification exercise within its database.

  • There are 829 individuals hosted in the Gathering and Departure Facility (GDF) in Tripoli. With the GDF at full capacity, transfers from detention centres remain blocked. Over the past weeks, UNHCR in coordination with the Ministry of Interior and partners, conducted the relocation of over 20 individuals from the GDF to the Community Day Centre in Gurji. They were all part of the group who arrived spontaneously to the facility in the month of July. They were assisted with the urban package which includes medical assistance, core-relief items (CRIs), including hygiene items and clothes, cash and targeted shelter support.

  • Over 300,000 persons remain displaced (IDP) in Libya, of whom 128,000 have been displaced over the past six months. UNHCR continues to provide assistance to IDPs and returnees throughout Libya. Since the beginning of the year, UNHCR distributed CRIs and shelter kits to over 31,400 IDPs. In addition, UNHCR distributed cash grants to over 5,000 IDPs in Tripoli, Aljafara, Benghazi, Sabha and Wadi Ashshati. Cash is mostly used to cover basic needs, including food, hygiene items, fuel, and other household costs.