A mass grave containing the bodies of at least 65 migrants has been discovered in Libya, the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) said.
In a statement on Friday, March 22, the IOM said that it was “profoundly shocked and alarmed”.
“The circumstances of their death and nationalities remain unknown, but it is believed that they died in the process of being smuggled through the desert. Each report of a missing migrant or a loss of life represents a grieving family searching for answers about their loved ones or acknowledging the tragedy of the loss. The cost of inadequate action is evident in the increasing human deaths and the disturbing conditions migrants find themselves in.” the IOM said.
The organization emphasized the necessity for a coordinated response to migrant smuggling and legal migration pathways following the tragedy.
The UN body while appreciating that the Libyan authorities are investigating migrants’ deaths, urged UN partner agencies for dignified recovery, identification, and transfer of remains, and proper notification and assistance for families.
According to the Criminal Investigations Department of Libya’s Interior Ministry, a mass grave was discovered in al-Jahriya Valley in Al-Shuwairf town, south of Tripoli.
It added that DNA samples were taken and all bodies were buried in a cemetery following instructions from the attorney general of the appeals chamber in Gharyan town.
