This archive report was first published on 6 July 2019.
Published on July 6, 2019, a devastating incident occurred off the coast of Tunisia, where dozens of African migrants are feared to have drowned after their boat capsized.
According to a government source and the Tunisian Red Crescent, the migrants had set off from Libya, bound for Europe, when their boat sank off the town of Zarzis.
Four people were rescued by Tunisian fishermen, but one later died in hospital, the UNHCR reported.
"The status quo cannot continue," said Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR Special Envoy for the Mediterranean, emphasizing the need for meaningful alternatives to prevent desperate boat journeys.
Some of the survivors informed the Tunisian coast guard that the boat had sunk off Zarzis, with a government source confirming that dozens had drowned.
This tragic incident is not an isolated case, as at least 65 migrants heading for Europe from Libya drowned last May when their boat capsized off Tunisia.
Libya's west coast remains a major departure point for African migrants seeking to reach Europe, despite efforts to disrupt smuggling networks and support the Libyan coast guard.
