Libya rights groups call for immediate evacuation of refugee centre

Some 38 Libyan rights groups yesterday called on the authorities to urgently evacuate the refugees and migrants held in detention centres in the country in the wake of an air strike which killed 60, the Anadolu Agency reported.

In a joint statement, the rights groups said: “It is necessary to evacuate the refugee and migrant centres, mainly those adjacent to sites of clashes.”

The statement stressed that it is unacceptable that these vulnerable people are kept in such conditions, calling for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to bear the responsibility towards those who seek protection in Libya.

Libyan forces loyal to East Libya-based military commander Khalifa Haftar on Friday attacked the Tajoura detention centre, killed 53 migrants and wounded more than 120 others, according to the WHO.

Doctors Without Borders said in a statement that there were more than 600 vulnerable men, women and children trapped in the Tajoura detention centre at the time of the attack.

“Our teams visited the centre earlier and saw 126 people in the cell that was hit. Those who survived are in absolute fear for their lives,” Doctors Without Borders said. 

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