Panafrican News Agency

HCR evacuates 153 refugees from Libya to transit center in Niger

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - A group of 153 refugees and asylum seekers were evacuated Thursday from Libya by the UN High Commission for Refugees (HCR) to an emergency transit center in Niger after seven months of suspension, an official source said here Friday.

In a statement, the HCR said "with this flight, it resumes the evacuations from Libya, ending a suspension of seven months", underlining that "it was necessary to stop the humanitarian flights in March because of the threat of the coronavirus pandemic, which led to the closure of the air space of several countries".

The HCR added that "among the evacuated were citizens from Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan, 16 families and 15 children aged less than 18 years, among whom several were not accompanied or were separated from their parents".

"The evacuated will from now on receive humanitarian assistance at the emergency transit center, including shelters, food, medical care, daily course and activities, as other options for them, such as the re-establishment and other legal means will be carried on with the financial support of the European Union (EU) emergency fiduciary fund for Africa," the HCR added.

 

-0-      PANA      BY/TBM/MSA/RA   16Oct2020