The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced the success of a dramatic rescue operation for 112 irregular migrants off the western coast of Libya, including 39 Sudanese citizens who fled the weight of the ongoing conflict in their country.
According to the UNHCR statement, the migrants remained stranded in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea for more than 24 hours after their dilapidated boat’s engine broke down and food and water supplies ran out, putting their lives in imminent danger before rescue teams intervened in coordination with local authorities.
Field reports indicated that the Sudanese survivors, including women and children, arrived at the disembarkation point suffering from severe dehydration and extreme exhaustion.
Medical crews recorded injuries from chemical burns resulting from engine fuel leaking and mixing with seawater inside the crowded boat, and critical cases were immediately transferred to healthcare centers in Tripoli.
This incident comes at a time when migration rates from Sudan are witnessing a record spike; as March 2026 statistics indicate the presence of more than 550,000.
