Libya - IOM this week responded to an urgent appeal from several international humanitarian agencies concerning deteriorating conditions in migrant detention centres throughout the country, especially in Tripoli, where the situation in Al Fallah Detention Centre was described as “life-threatening” after all regular food supplies were stopped on 1 December.

According to one report, detainees sometimes receive a regular intake of less than 600 calories per day, which has led to cases of acute malnutrition among those held in detention. Among the detainees are children and at least one newborn baby, delivered at the detention centre.

On Wednesday, IOM released funds from an emergency account to help ease food shortages among detainees, with the first meals being delivered Thursday evening. IOM also has a mobile health team on site to assess acute cases of malnutrition.

“We are currently responding to the current food crisis at Al Fallah and for the coming week, IOM will provide three meals per day. We are also following up with health and psychosocial support assessments and identifying migrants who want to return to their country of origin,” said IOM Libya Chief of Mission Othman Belbeisi.

So far this is year IOM has facilitated the voluntary return of nearly 3,000 migrants from Libya, mostly to sub-Saharan Africa.

For further information, please contact Othman Belbeisi at IOM Libya, Tel: +216 29 600389, Email: obelbeisi@iom.int