ReliefWeb

Population movement

As of 5 August, 6,588 refugees and migrants have been registered as rescued/intercepted at sea by the Libyan Coast Guard and disembarked in Libya. On 1 August, a total of 149 individuals disembarked in two operations at the Tripoli Naval Base and Al-Zawiya (45 km west of Tripoli). UNHCR and its partner, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), were present at the disembarkation points to provide core relief items (CRIs) and urgent medical assistance.

UNHCR response

UNHCR continues to support refugees and asylum-seekers living in the urban community in Tripoli. Last week, UNHCR through its partner, CESVI, distributed hygiene kits, soap bars, wipes, solar lamps, jerry cans and hand sanitizers to 16 individuals. So far this year, more than 17,000 urban refugees and asylum-seekers received CRIs.

There are currently 46,823 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR in Libya. The population comprises 45 per cent men, 22 per cent women and 33 per cent children with the highest caseload registered in Tripoli (50 per cent), Al Jufra (14 per cent) and Misrata (8 per cent). The majority of those registered are Syria nationals (34 per cent) followed by Sudanese (32 per cent) and Eritreans (12 per cent). During the reporting period, a total of 166 individuals were registered at UNHCR's Sarraj Registration Office. So far in 2020, 4,321 refugees and asylum-seekers were registered with UNHCR Libya.

Provision of medical assistance is a vital life-saving tool for persons of concern in Libya. UNHCR’s medical partner, IRC commonly provides primary healthcare consultations and medical referrals at five locations in Libya. These include UNHCR’s Community Day Centre and Gergaresh clinic in Tripoli and at IRC Shelter, Aljazera clinic and Skiarat clinic in Misrata (190 km east of Tripoli).
Medical assistance is also provided in detention centres and at disembarkation points. As of 5 August, a total of 2,495 medical consultations were provided; 139 at disembarkation points, 806 in detention centres and 1,689 in the urban community.

Presently, some 2,500 refugees and migrants are being held in detention centres in Libya. Of these, 1,212 are persons of concern to UNHCR. UNHCR continues to advocate for an end to detention and the orderly release of all refugees into the urban community. So far this year, UNHCR and partners conducted 180 monitoring visits to detention centres in Libya to provide counselling, medical and material assistance, register refugees and asylum-seekers and identify the most vulnerable for durable solutions.

Distribution of cash assistance is ongoing. As 5 August, UNHCR through its partners, CESVI and Danish Refugee Council, provided cash assistance to 5,852 individuals including 3,494 internally displaced persons and 2,358 refugees and asylum-seekers.