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Highlights
To mark World Refugee Day, on 19 June, UNHCR evacuated 131 refugees and asylum-seekers to the Emergency Transit Mechanism (ETM) in Niger. All refugees and asylum-seekers were previously detained in Libyan detention centres. This year, 1,297 refugees and asylum-seekers departed for solutions out of Libya. The Gathering and Departure Facility (GDF) in Tripoli is now hosting 460 individuals. For World Refugee Day, UNHCR and partners organized recreational activities for adults and children at the GDF and at the Community Day Centre in Gurji.
Since November 2017, UNHCR supported 4,370 has refugees and asylumseekers with solutions out of Libya, including 2,913 to the ETM Niger, 710 to Italy, 364 to the Emergency Transit Centre in Romania and 383 to other countries.
Population movements
As of 20 June, 3,018 refugees and migrants were rescued/intercepted at sea by the Libyan Coast Guard during 38 operations in 2019. UNHCR noted an increase concerning disembarkation events since May 2019 when compared with data collected in previous months. So far in June, 668 refugees and migrants were disembarked at the Tripoli Naval Base (293 individuals), Al Khums (216 individuals) and Azzawya (159 individuals). On 19 June, 40 refugees and migrants were disembarked in Azzawya. UNHCR and its partner IMC provided medical assistance and CRIs to those disembarked before they were transferred to a detention centre by the authorities. Recently, boats have been departing from areas near Zwara, Garabulli and Al Khums.
UNHCR response
Since the onset of the crisis in Tripoli, UNHCR, through its partner LibAid, has distributed core-relief items (CRIs) to over 10,340 internally displaced persons (IDPs). Nearly 94,000 individuals have been displaced (IDPs) due to the clashes and airstrikes taking place in southern Tripoli. Over the past two months, UNHCR supported hospitals, local municipalities and partners with ambulances and medical supplies for the emergency response.
UNHCR is monitoring and providing primary healthcare to refugees and migrants in detention. Currently, UNHCR estimates the presence of 5,800 individuals in detention including 3,700 of concern to UNCHR. Screening for upcoming evacuations are also taking place. So far in 2019, UNHCR and partners have conducted over 630 monitoring visits and provided over 8,300 medical consultations in detention centres.
UNHCR and partners are implementing quick-impact projects (QIPs) in Libya. QIPs are small, rapidly implemented projects intended to help create conditions for peaceful coexistence between those displaced and their hosting communities, and to strengthen the resilience of these communities. So far in 2019 UNHCR implemented 12 projects supporting educational facilities for IDPs and host communities throughout Libya. UNHCR is also advancing another 18 projects to support clinics and local educational facilities.