Search Continues for 60 Migrants Missing Off Libya Coast

A military brigade handing over undocumented migrants to officials in Tripoli (Brigade 444)
A military brigade handing over undocumented migrants to officials in Tripoli (Brigade 444)
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Search Continues for 60 Migrants Missing Off Libya Coast

A military brigade handing over undocumented migrants to officials in Tripoli (Brigade 444)
A military brigade handing over undocumented migrants to officials in Tripoli (Brigade 444)

The Libyan coastguard, with the help of a group of fishermen, has continued its search for roughly 60 migrants, who were presumed dead after their boat caught fire off the Libyan coast during an attempted Mediterranean crossing.

Alarm Phone, a volunteer-run Mediterranean rescue hotline, said it had spoken to survivors of the March 18 incident in which the engine of the wooden boat carrying more than 100 people caught fire.

Someone on the boat initially contacted them, and they in turn alerted relevant authorities as well as the rescue vessel, Ocean Viking, and requested an immediate search for the boat in distress.

Ocean Viking started a search operation. Unfortunately, the migrants were at first unable to provide an accurate GPS position.

Libyan authorities told them shortly after that 45 people had been rescued and five bodies retrieved.

However, the charity said witness testimony they gathered suggested about 60 people were missing and presumed dead, AFP reported.

Survivors said that the boat’s passengers included Sudanese, Senegalese, Syrians, Pakistanis, Moroccans and Egyptians.

On March 18, Ocean Viking rescued 10 people, including three children and a baby suffering from dehydration.

Two days later, crew members of the Ocean Viking rescued more than a hundred migrants.

“Ocean Viking rescued around 106 children, women and men from an overcrowded dinghy that had run into trouble in international waters around 34 nautical miles from Libya,” SOS Mediterrannee tweeted.

The rescued migrants included 31 men, eight women and 67 children, of whom 51 were unaccompanied.

Meanwhile, human traffickers in Libya continue to kidnap undocumented migrants.

Brigade 444 said Tuesday that its forces had neutralized criminals in Nessma area, about 200 km from Tripoli.

They freed 85 African abductees and handed them over to the migration agency in Tripoli, it said.



Muted Responses to Deadly Houthi Escalation and Rising Insurance Costs

The Greek ship Magic Seas sank in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks (Reuters). 
The Greek ship Magic Seas sank in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks (Reuters). 
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Muted Responses to Deadly Houthi Escalation and Rising Insurance Costs

The Greek ship Magic Seas sank in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks (Reuters). 
The Greek ship Magic Seas sank in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks (Reuters). 

As the Houthi threat to international shipping grows ever more serious - most recently with the sinking of two Greek vessels, killing three sailors and leaving twelve missing - there has been little substantial reaction from major world powers. The United States, Germany’s foreign minister, and the UN envoy to Yemen were among the few to voice concern and call for de-escalation.

While Houthi attacks intensify across the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, insurance premiums for commercial ships in these waters have surged to as much as 1% of a vessel’s value, according to leading global insurers. This underscores the scale of the risk and the declining confidence in protecting this vital maritime corridor.

The two assaults targeted the cargo ships Magic Seas and True Confidence between Sunday and Tuesday last week. According to the EU naval mission Aspides, tasked with safeguarding Red Sea navigation, the attacks killed at least three sailors, wounded others, and left a dozen unaccounted for.

The strike on the Liberian-flagged Greek-operated True Confidence marked a dangerous escalation. The Houthis claimed responsibility, saying they used an explosive-laden drone boat and six ballistic and cruise missiles. They alleged the ship was heading to Israel’s port of Eilat, though independent verification was lacking.

Despite the scale of the violence, most global capitals limited their responses to brief statements. Only the US ambassador to the UN issued a pointed condemnation, along with remarks from a State Department spokesperson and a statement by UN envoy Hans Grundberg.

The US denounced the attacks as “terrorist and unjustified,” describing them as evidence of the “ongoing threat posed by Iranian-backed Houthis to regional maritime security and commerce.” The US ambassador stressed Washington’s commitment to denying the Houthis resources to fund such operations and called on the UN Security Council to remove obstacles blocking its expert monitoring teams in Yemen.

The State Department likewise condemned the attacks as a threat to the freedom of navigation and economic stability. “We will continue to take necessary steps to protect commercial shipping,” the statement warned, urging the broader international community to condemn the Houthis’ actions.

Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Iran must use its influence to halt Houthi attacks. Speaking in Vienna alongside his Israeli and Austrian counterparts, he declared: “We strongly condemn these attacks and expect Iran to act to stop them.”

UN envoy Grundberg expressed deep concern about the sinking of True Confidence, warning of the humanitarian and environmental consequences of such operations, which violate international law and Security Council Resolution 2722. He urged the Houthis to provide sustainable guarantees to end attacks and build on prior understandings with the United States.

Oman had brokered a limited agreement last May under which the Houthis pledged to stop targeting American ships in return for a suspension of broad US-led military action - though the deal excluded Israel.

A Dangerous Precedent

Yemeni officials say the tepid reactions from much of the world send the Houthis the wrong message, reinforcing their sense of impunity. On Thursday, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi boasted in his weekly address about sinking the vessels, calling it a “clear lesson” to any shipping company doing business with Israel.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have carried out over 150 attacks, disrupting global trade flows through the Red Sea. Their operations have sunk British and Greek ships and damaged many more, including hijacking the Galaxy Leader and holding its crew for over a year.