More than 6,000 Sudanese arrive in Libya fleeing conflict in country - IOM

bTripoli, Libya (PANA) - More than 6,000 Sudanese have arrived in Libya since the outbreak of civil war in Sudan last April, according to a recent report published by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

This brings the total number of Sudanese migrants currently living in the country to around 125,363.

According to the IOM report quoted at the end of March by the Libyan newspaper "Almieyar Libya", the 125,363 Sudanese represent 18% of the total number of migrants in Libya, making the Sudanese nationality the third largest group of migrants living in Libya.

According to the document, the age of most Sudanese migrants in Libya is between 21 and 49, with young people making up a large percentage of them, men making up 93% of the total number, while the percentage of women is set at just 7%.

The report states that when migrants arrive in Libya, many head for the southernmost town of Kufra, which is a meeting point for migrants from Chad and Sudan, before heading for the northern coastal towns.

The migrants suffer from difficulties in obtaining health care and a lack of food security, according to the report, which indicates that they also face major challenges, including unemployment and security violations.

This was confirmed by the Kufra municipality's continuous appeals to the Libyan authorities to help them meet the needs of the migrants, which exceeded the municipality's limited capacity.

Since April 2023, the Sudanese people have been caught up in a deadly armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by Lieutenant-General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by Lieutenant-General Hemedti.

According to the latest United Nations figures, the war has claimed more than 13,000 lives and displaced around 8 million people and refugees.

-0- PANA BY/IS/SOC/BBA/RA 14April2024