July 15 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Around 45 people were rescued last week after two days lost in the desert in Niger while trying to reach Libya to continue their journey to European shores, as confirmed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The IOM has detailed that the agency and Civil Protection of Niger rescued 44 migrants who were trapped on July 6 after the vehicle in which they were traveling suffered a technical problem and the driver abandoned them at the scene.
“They were found about 20 kilometers from Dirkou, from where they were traveling to Libya,” he said, before detailing that they are 21 Nigerians, twelve Ghanaians, four Malians, six Ivorian and one Beninese. Among those rescued were three girls.
He also stressed that all of them are currently in a transit center in Dirkou, where “they receive essential humanitarian assistance.” “Most of the migrants have indicated that they want to continue their journey to Libya,” she concluded.
“Very proud of our continued partnership with (Nigerian) Civil Protection to rescue migrants in distress, an essential service in this remote region,” IOM Niger Chief of Mission Barbara Rijks said in her online account. the Twitter social network.
Libyan authorities said in late June that 20 migrants had died of thirst near the border with Chad after the vehicle they were traveling in broke down in the Sahara desert.
Libya has become in recent years one of the main crossing points for migrants arriving from sub-Saharan African countries on their way across the Mediterranean Sea to reach European shores.
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