Sebha— Libyan authorities, in cooperation with UN organizations in the country, have provided humanitarian aid for the rising number of refugees and illegal immigrants in the southern region of Libya, especially at a time when winter weather conditions are becoming more difficult than usual.
The Libyan Relief and Humanitarian Works Authority (LRHWA), in cooperation with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, have provided humanitarian assistance to detainees at illegal immigration shelters in Sabha.
The rations provided included a bag of men and women’s clothing, hygiene appliances and blankets that would meet some of their needs, according to Mohammed Al-Warfali, the spokesperson of the LRHWA southern region branch as quoted by Anbaa Libya.
“This aid aims to meet the basic needs of detainees and alleviate their suffering, while enhancing the level of care provided to them,” he added.
The LRHWA has been regularly distributing humanitarian aid to the needy, including those who have been affected by the torrential rains in the city of Ajdabiya and the Sidi Abdel Aati area.
Meanwhile, Libya is facing an overwhelming influx of illegal immigrants and refugees as the Middle East and Africa as well as other parts of the world are themselves facing instability, wars and economic problems.
According to data published by the International Organization for Migration in recent days, the number of immigrants registered with it in Libya has reached about 787,326 immigrants.
These migrants are distributed among several nationalities, with the Sudanese being the largest group at 26 percent, followed by the Nigerien group at 24 percent, and the Egyptians at 21 percent.
The migrants also include nationalities from Chad and Nigeria at 10 percent and 4 percent respectively. The majority of migrants are concentrated in the western region of the country, where about 54 percent of them reside in all cities and villages in this region.
International efforts to help Libya face such huge problem remain insufficient. Recently, the Anti-Illegal Immigration Agency in Tripoli deported the first migrants from Niger last week via the Al-Toum crossing, after a hiatus that lasted several years. It comes within the framework of Libya’s international obligations to confront illegal immigration and organize the return of migrants.
