UN Evacuates 131 Refugees From Libya To Niger Amid Fighting In Tripoli - Refugee Agency

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th June, 2019) The UN Refugee Agency has completed the evacuation of 131 refugees from Libya to Niger amid the ongoing fighting in and around Libya's capital Tripoli, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a press release on Thursday.

"A group of 131 refugees was evacuated last night out of Libya to the Emergency Transit Mechanism (ETM) in Niger, run by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency," the statement said.

UNHCR explained the group of refugees from Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan was sheltered at the agency's Gathering and Departure Facility in Tripoli prior to being evacuated.

According to the United Nations, more than 3,800 refugees and migrants remain in detention centers in Tripoli close to the areas where fighting is taking place.

The death toll in the renewed violence in Libya has already exceeded 690 people, including 41 civilians, while thousands more suffered injuries, according to the World Health Organization.