Libya: IOM’s emergency response snapshot

In the aftermath of weeks of conflict in the Libyan coastal city of Sabratha, at least 4,000 migrants, previously held in numerous informal detention centres and camps, were transferred to a hangar in the city’s Dahman area.

An additional around 1,000 migrants reached Zwara on foot coming from Sabratha and are currently detained in Zwara. The Directorate for Combatting Illegal Migration (DCIM) is transferring migrants from Sabratha and Zwara to different detention centres throughout the region, including Trig al Seka, Ghariyan, Tajoura and Trig al Matar. On 7 October, within 24 hrs after the first transfer of migrants, IOM, as the first humanitarian responder, sent a field team to the site to assess the situation.

Overall, the migrants are from almost a dozen countries and among them are pregnant women, newborn babies and unaccompanied children. Whilst migrants are on a daily basis transferred from Sabratha and Zwara to detention centres in Tripoli area, new migrants continue to arrive. As of 13 October, 1000 migrants are estimated to be in Zwara and 4000 in Sabratha. Primary needs include water, tents, WASH and medical assistance and psychosocial support.