The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has evacuated 97 asylum seekers to Rome via Mitiga International Airport in what is the first evacuation of its kind this year.
The UNHCR explained on its website that among the evacuated individuals were women and children, as well as people suffering from serious medical conditions, most of whom were of Sudanese nationality.
According to the UNHCR’s latest statistics, more than 59,000 refugees are registered in Libya, of whom nearly 400 refugees were deported to Italy in 2022 in cooperation with the Italian Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs.
UNHCR urged other countries to open humanitarian corridors, relieve pressure on host countries and contribute to a more sustainable response to the urgent needs of refugees in Libya and elsewhere.
It also stressed the continuation of its efforts by relying on the international community to help find safe paths for their exit from Libya.
