Libya

Population Movements

Since the onset of hostilities on 26 August, at least 3,845 families (19,225 individuals) have been displaced. The majority of displaced civilians continue to find refuge with friends and relatives living in safer areas, while others are temporarily sheltered in schools or public buildings. UNHCR and its partner LibAid continue to monitor the situation and provide assistance to affected families in Tripoli and other locations including in Zawiya, Surman, Regdallen, Sabratha, Tarhouna, Bani Walid and Yefren.

BACKGROUND

Geneva – IOM, the UN Migration Agency, reports that 78,372 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2018 through 20 September, 34,238 of whom travelled to Spain, the leading destination this year. This compares with 132,715 arrivals across the region through the same period last year.

Spain, with over 44 per cent of all irregular arrivals on the Mediterranean to date, has outpaced Greece and Italy throughout the summer.

Conflicts and climatic shocks aggravate current food insecurity in many countries

Some 39 countries in need of food assistance - FAO expects slightly lower global cereal production

20 September 2018, Rome - Persistent conflicts and climate-related shocks are currently driving high levels of severe food insecurity, particularly in Southern African and Near East countries, which continue to require humanitarian assistance, according to a new report published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today.

Executive Summary

This research report mainly builds on data collected between June and October 2017 through the Mixed Migration Monitoring Mechanism Initiative (4Mi) including 1,062 surveys collected by 4Mi field monitors.

Key developments in Africa during the week of September 9th include continued high levels of insurgent activity in Somalia and Cameroon; heavy military activity against Boko Haram in Nigeria; continued ethnic unrest in south-west Kenya; political unrest in Ethiopia and a large-scale bombing in Libya.

With conditions improving in some parts of the country, Somali refugees continue to return from countries of asylum. Statistics from UNHCR indicate that over 121,000 people have voluntarily returned from ten countries of asylum since 2014. The countries include Kenya, Yemen, Djibouti,
Libya, Tunisia and Eritrea. As of August 2018, UNHCR registered 31,836 refugees and asylum seekers in Somalia.

Most people seeking asylum in Somalia are from Ethiopia and Yemen.

Highlights

IOM voluntary humanitarian returns from Libya: On 8 August 2018, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), reported that it had facilitated the return of 10,950 stranded migrants from Libya through its Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR) Programme, following an important increase in the number of detainees recorded in Libya. Among these, 9,636 were returned to countries in Central and West Africa.

Due to the high amount of conflict experienced in Libya following the revolution of 2011, the need for mental health care is slowly being normalized in Libyan society. Since 2017, ACTED has been active in Benghazi, implementing a UNHCR-funded program focused on increasing mental health awareness and, in turn, breaking the stigma attached to seeking mental health services.

After the onset of clashes between armed groups in Tripoli on 26 August, at least 3,845 families (approximately 19,225 individuals) have been displaced. Following a ceasefire agreement between warring parties reached on 04 September, the overall security situation in Tripoli has been improving although tensions remain high and periodic security incidents continue to be reported, particularly in neighborhoods in Southern Tripoli.

Africa

Cameroon

10 August 2018: In Bamenda city, Mezam department, Northwest province, an ambulance belonging to the Bamenda Regional Hospital was shot at by either national military personnel or Ambazonian fighters, seriously wounding a nurse, and slightly injuring the driver. Source: Cameroon-Info

Côte d’Ivoire

Geneva – IOM, the UN Migration Agency, reports that 77,555 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2018 through 17 September, with 33,611 to Spain, the leading destination this year.

This compares with 131,884 arrivals across the region through the same period last year, and 298,663 through a similar point (13 September) in 2016.

Spain, with over 43 per cent of all irregular arrivals on the Mediterranean through this year, has outpaced

Greece and Italy throughout the summer.

The Libyan economy builds on a long history of labour migration to the country. In the 1950s and 1960s, the discovery of oil fields in Libya led to large numbers of migrant workers from across the Middle East, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa to come to the country and work in emerging economic hubs across Libya.

Between 1970 and 1982, the proportion of foreign workers in the total active labour force increased from 11% to 50%. Migrants came with various skill levels, working in oil fields, but equally in the construction and agricultural sectors.

FOREWORD

Update of UNHCR’s operations in Africa

A. Situational context

1. INTRODUCTION

IOM works with national and local authorities, as well as community-based organizations, to better understand migration movements in West and Central Africa. Using tools from the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) - the flow monitoring registry (FMR) and survey (FMS) - teams of enumerators work in major transit areas to monitor intra- and interregional migration movements.

2. FLOW MONITORING METHODOLOGY

FUNDING REQUIRED $25.33B

FUNDING RECEIVED $10.19B

UNMET REQUIREMENTS $15.14B

COVERAGE 40.2%

PEOPLE IN NEED 133.8M

PEOPLE TO RECEIVE AID 97.4M

COUNTRIES AFFECTED 41