Key Figures:
212,593 Libyans currently internally displaced (IDPs)
643,123 IDP returnees
42,210 registered refugees and asylumseekers
141 monitoring visits by UNHCR to detention centres in 2021
127 refugees and asylum-seekers released from detention in 2021
6,521 vulnerable refugees and asylumseekers departed since 2017 (345 so far in 2021)
Funding: USD 93.0 M required for 2021
Population Movements
So far in 2021, a total of 22,803 refugees and migrants have been reported as rescued/intercepted by the Libyan Coast Guard (LCG). On 25 August, some 130 individuals were returned to Tripoli Naval Base after departing from Zwara (102 km west of Tripoli) and Sabratha (80 km west of Tripoli). On 29 August, the LCG intercepted a further 106 individuals near Zwara and were transferred to detention by the Directorate for Combatting Illegal Migration (DCIM). UNHCR and medical partner the International Rescue Committee (IRC) remain present at disembarkation points to provide urgent medical assistance and Core Relief Items (CRIs). Sea departures from Libya continue to increase, with 6,989 departures recorded in July 2021 – a 96 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2020.
UNHCR Response
On 2 September, UNHCR received a delegation from the Netherlands at the Registration Office and Community Day Centre (CDC) in Tripoli. UNHCR briefed on procedures for registration, refugee status determination and resettlement. At the CDC, the delegation met with community mobilizers who gave a first-hand account of living conditions for persons seeking asylum in Libya and highlighted the limited access to education and health services.
On 30 August, UNHCR in coordination with WFP and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) distributed food packages, hygiene kits and prepaid cash cards to 163 persons previously scheduled for evacuation to Niger. The evacuation flight was cancelled in early August after the Libyan authorities suspended all humanitarian flights out of Libya. The assistance will help the individuals meet their basic needs as they await a future evacuation flight.
UNHCR registered 351 refugees and asylum-seekers at its Registration Office in Tripoli. Primary nationalities included Sudanese (181), Syrians (108), and Eritreans (43).
All newly registered individuals were provided with UNHCR certificates. As of 30 August, some 8,000 refugees and asylum-seekers have been registered with UNHCR in Libya in 2021.
UNHCR continues to provide services at the CDC in Tripoli. Last week, 85 Protection Needs Assessments (PNAs) and 12 Best Interest Assessments (BIAs) were conducted for minors. Primary nationalities were Sudanese (48) Eritrean (18), Syrian (9), South Sudanese (3), with all cases referred to specialized services. Partner IRC distributed CRIs including hygiene kits, soap, infant nappies, mattresses and blankets to 358 individuals (152 men, 154 women and 52 children). At the CDC’s clinic, a total of 526 primary health consultations for general, reproductive and mental health were provided. In addition, 197 cases were referred to secondary public and private clinics for further treatment. The 24/7 medical emergency hotline also remains available; some 24 refugees and asylum-seekers were provided with medical counselling during the reporting. So far in 2021, UNHCR and its partners provided 3,454 PNAs; 432 BIAs; 6,813 medical consultations;1,858 medical referrals; and CRIs to 5,082 individuals.
During the reporting period, UNHCR partner LibAid distributed hygiene kits to some 700 Tawerghan internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Benghazi. So far in 2021, UNHCR and partners distributed CRIs to 24,973 IDPs and cash assistance to 763 IDPs.