UNICEF voices sadness about death of 3 illegal immigrant children off Libyan coast

TRIPOLI, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The UNICEF said on Monday that it was saddened by the death of three illegal immigrant children off the Libyan coast.

"UNICEF is sad to confirm that last week bodies of three children, including 6-months-old & 3-years-old children, were washed up on the shores of Zuwara, a coastal city in Libya situated 102 km west of Tripoli," UNICEF said in a statement.

"Too many children are needlessly losing their lives in deadly migration routes as they search for safety and better life," the statement added.

UNICEF called for immediate action at all levels to protect the safety of children in Libya, and for collective efforts to provide safer alternatives to sea crossing.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 10,154 illegal immigrants, including women and children, have been rescued at sea and returned to Libya by the Libyan Coast Guard so far this year.

A total of 173 illegal immigrants have died and 459 others gone missing on the Central Mediterranean route so far in 2021, according to IOM.

Libya has been plagued by insecurity and chaos since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, making it the a preferred point of departure for illegal immigrants wanting to cross the Mediterranean Sea toward European shores.

Rescued migrants end up inside overcrowded reception centers across Libya, despite repeated international calls to close them.