---
title: '53 Migrants Dead or Missing After Boat Capsizes Off Libyan Coast: UN'
url: 'https://thediplomaticinsight.com/53-migrants-dead-or-missing-boat-capsizes-libyan-coast/'
author: 'Monitoring Desk'
date: '2026-02-09T20:12:11+05:00'
categories:
  - 'Africa'
  - 'World'
---

# 53 Migrants Dead or Missing After Boat Capsizes Off Libyan Coast: UN

**Tripoli (TDI):** At least 53 migrants are feared dead or missing after a boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya, the United Nations migration agency said on Monday. Only two people survived the incident.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the vessel overturned north of the Libyan city of Zuwara on Friday, marking another deadly episode on the central Mediterranean route, one of the world’s most dangerous migration corridors.

In a statement, the IOM said the two survivors, both Nigerian women, were rescued during a search-and-rescue operation conducted by Libyan authorities. One of the women reported losing her husband, while the other said she lost her two young children in the tragedy. IOM teams provided emergency medical assistance to the survivors upon their arrival on shore, according to AFP.

Based on accounts from the survivors, the agency said the boat departed from the coastal city of Al-Zawiya late on February 5, carrying migrants and refugees of various African nationalities. Around six hours into the journey, the vessel began taking on water and eventually capsized.

“IOM mourns the loss of life in yet another deadly incident along the Central Mediterranean route,” the agency said, warning that trafficking and smuggling networks continue to exploit vulnerable migrants seeking to reach Europe. These networks, it said, profit from dangerous sea crossings using unseaworthy boats while exposing migrants to severe abuse.

The IOM called for stronger international cooperation to dismantle smuggling networks and urged the expansion of safe and regular migration pathways to reduce loss of life.

The agency added that harsh weather conditions have worsened risks this year, with fears that hundreds of migrants may have already died attempting to cross the Mediterranean since January.

**Read More: [Migrants Drive Global Economic and Social Development: Chaudhry Salik](https://thediplomaticinsight.com/migrants-drive-global-economic-social-development-salik/)**

A spokesperson for the European Commission said the EU was working to address the root causes of irregular migration while promoting legal, safe and orderly migration channels.

“These tragic events once again highlight the need to intensify joint efforts with our partners, including Libya, to prevent such dangerous journeys and to combat the criminal networks that put lives at risk,” the spokesperson said.

**Read More: [68 Dead, 74 Missing as Boat Carrying African Migrants Capsizes off Yemen](https://thediplomaticinsight.com/68-dead-74-missing-as-migrant-boat-capsizes/)**

According to the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, more than 33,000 migrants have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean between 2014 and the end of 2025. In 2025 alone, the agency recorded 1,873 migrant deaths or disappearances at sea, including 1,342 along the central Mediterranean route.