Overview
- The rubber dinghy left Al-Zawiya late on February 5 and capsized roughly six hours later north of Zuwara after taking on water, according to IOM.
- Libyan authorities rescued two Nigerian women who received emergency medical care; one reported losing her husband and the other her two babies.
- The incident adds to a deadly start to 2026 on the central route, with at least 375 deaths or disappearances recorded in January and a year-to-date total of at least 484.
- IOM says trafficking and smuggling networks are sending migrants to sea in unseaworthy boats and calls for stronger international cooperation and safe, legal pathways.
- Rights groups cite Libya’s role as a transit hub marked by detention and abuse, while a rescue NGO blamed restrictive European border policies for worsening risks.