At least 17 Sudanese refugees have drowned after a boat capsized in the Mediterranean off the coast of Tobruk, Libya heading toward Greece. Of the 33 people confirmed to be on board, only seven survived, while nine others remain missing, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Libya on 30 April 2026.
“Ending the war in Sudan and expanding safe, legal pathways are the only solutions to prevent such tragedies,” the UNHCR stated.
UNHCR is deeply saddened by the loss of 17 Sudanese #refugee lives in a shipwreck off Tobruk yesterday.
— UNHCR Libya (@UNHCRLibya) April 30, 2026
33 people were on board only 7 survived. 9 remain missing.
Ending the war in Sudan & expanding safe, legal pathways are the only solutions to prevent such tragedies. pic.twitter.com/dnRLKhKJzO
Survivors reporting to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) that they had been stranded at sea for several days.
This incident follows a series of shipwrecks; another recent capsize involved over 80 missing migrants off the Libyan coast. Survivors of these journeys often report dying of hunger and thirst, and the Libyan Red Crescent regularly recovers bodies from the sea.
Since war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began in April 2023, Libya has seen a massive influx of over 559,000 Sudanese refugees. This is part of a wider displacement crisis — the world’s largest — which has left between 12 and 14 million people displaced. While many settle in southeastern areas like Al Kufra, they face severe humanitarian shortages as local resources reach a breaking point. Consequently, thousands are attempting the dangerous Mediterranean crossing. Sudan has now become one of the top nationalities departing from Libya, a primary transit point where refugees face high risks of exploitation, abuse, and detention.
Libya remains a major, dangerous, and often fatal, transit route for Sudanese fleeing conflict. The country is a primary hub for smugglers transporting migrants and refugees from Africa and the Middle East across the Mediterranean. The country has also been in chaos since 2011, creating an unsafe environment where human smuggling thrives.
