The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) evacuated a group of 153 vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers from Libya. They were placed in the Emergency Transit Mechanism (ETM) in Niger.
UNHCR said it will resume evacuations from Libya, ending a seven-month hiatus. It pointed out that humanitarian flights had to be stopped in March, due to the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. This led to the closure of airspace in many countries.
UNHCR stated that the evacuees included nationals of Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan. They comprised of 16 families, and 15 minors under the age of 18. Many minors were unaccompanied, or separated from their parents.
The UN organ added that, “The evacuated people will now receive humanitarian assistance at ETM, including shelter, food, medical care, courses, and daily activities. Alternative options for them are being pursued, such as resettlement and other legal pathways.” This would be through financial support from the European Union’s Emergency Trust Fund for Africa