UNHCR Evacuates 116 Vulnerable Refugees From Libya To Rwanda - Statement

The UN Refugees Agency (UNHCR) said in a press release on Monday that it has relocated 116 vulnerable refugees from Libya to Rwanda amid increased hostilities in the former

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th November, 2019) The UN Refugees Agency (UNHCR) said in a press release on Monday that it has relocated 116 vulnerable refugees from Libya to Rwanda amid increased hostilities in the former.

"More than 100 vulnerable refugees, including several babies born in detention centers in Libya, have arrived in Rwanda on a humanitarian evacuation flight organized by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency," the release said.

The UNHCR explained that the group of 116 refugees arrived in Rwanda's capital Kigali on Sunday and were then taken to a transit facility in Gashora where they are currently receiving life-saving assistance.

The refugees include nationals of Eritrea, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan and South Sudan and have been granted asylum-seeker status while their cases are considered to determine solutions, such as resettlement, voluntary return and local integration in Rwanda, the release said.

The UNHCR noted that that it plans several additional humanitarian flights to Libya in the next few weeks.

Libya is ruled by two competing governments. The country's eastern part is controlled by the Libyan National Army and its western part is governed by the UN-backed Government of National Accord. Since April, the sides have engaged in a military confrontation.