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UNHCR Update Libya (29 May 2020)

Countries
Libya
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UNHCR
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Population movement

As of 27 May, 3,625 refugees and migrants have been registered as rescued/intercepted at sea by the Libyan Coast Guard and disembarked in Libya. On 27 May, 98 males, including six minors, were disembarked in Misrata.
UNHCR’s partner, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), were present at the disembarkation point and provided urgent medical assistance and core relief items (CRIs) before individuals were transferred into detention.

UNHCR response

During the month of Ramadan, UNHCR conducted a distribution campaign targeting refugees, asylum-seekers and internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in urban communities. Over the period and in total, more than 8,500 refugees, asylum-seekers and IDPs living in Tripoli, Misrata (190 km east of Tripoli) and Al-Zawiya (45 km west of Tripoli), received CRIs including food baskets, hygiene kits, water purification tablets and jerry cans.

UNHCR through its partners continue to provide medical assistance in Libya. So far this year, a total of 2,327 medical consultations were provided (including 135 at disembarkation points, 783 in detention centres and 1,409 at the Community Day Centre).

There are currently 48,732 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR in Libya. Of those registered, 38.5 per cent are Syrian followed by 28.5 per cent Sudanese and 11 per cent Eritrean. UNHCR continues to register persons of concern through its Sarraj Registration Office in Tripoli and at detention centres.

Cash assistance is vital for persons of concern living in Libya. It helps them meet their everyday needs such as food and shelter without resorting to negative coping mechanisms. So far this year, UNHCR through its partners CESVI and the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), have provided cash assistance to 1,601 families. This includes 230 internally displaced families and 1,371 refugee and asylum-seeker families.

UNHCR continues to conduct protection monitoring visits to detention centres in Libya. These visits allow UNHCR to access the conditions of its persons of concern who are being held in detention; provide protection services such as registration and identifying vulnerable cases for durable solutions; and providing assistance including CRIs. As of 28 May, UNHCR has undertaken 159 protection monitoring visits to detention centres.

UNHCR’s hotlines allow for communication between UNHCR’s staff and persons of concern. Through them, UNHCR is able to respond to the queries and provide information and counselling. Last week, 122 calls were received by the registration, detention and Benghazi hotlines. Callers requested information about resettlement, registration and community assistance. Since 1 April, UNHCR hotlines have taken nearly 1,200 calls in total.