Migrant vessel capsized off Libya

Subject : IR

Section: Places in news

Context: Over 60 drown in a migrant vessel off Libya while trying to reach Europe

More about the news:

A boat carrying 86 migrants capsized off the coast of Libya, resulting in the tragic death of over 60 people, including women and children.
The incident occurred near the town of Zuwara on Libya’s western coast, with strong waves causing the boat to capsize.
The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported the shipwreck, emphasizing the perilous nature of the central Mediterranean route, one of the world’s most dangerous migration paths.
Libya has become a major transit point for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East, and the central Mediterranean is a deadly route for those seeking entry into Europe.
The region has witnessed thousands of deaths, with over 2,250 fatalities reported on this route in the current year alone.

Some facts about International Organization for Migration (IOM)

IOM is an intergovernmental organization that provides services and advice concerning migration to governments and migrants, including refugees, internally displaced persons and migrant workers.
IOM was established in 1951 as Inter governmental Committee for European Migration (ICEM) to help resettle people displaced by World War II.
It was granted Permanent Observer status to the UN General Assembly in 1992.
Cooperation agreement between IOM and the UN was signed in 1996.
The World Migration Report is published every year by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) of the UN.
IOM works in four broad areas of migration management:
- Migration and development,
- Facilitating migration,
- Regulating migration and
- Forced migration.
It has175 member states, a further 8 states holding observer status and offices in over 100 countries.
India is a member of IOM.

Some facts about Libya:

Libya is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa.
It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad to the south, Niger to the southwest, Algeria to the west, and Tunisia to the northwest.
Tripoli is the capital of Libya.
Libya had the largest proven crude oil reserves in Africa