A child was found dead and 45 people were rescued on Saturday (April 23rd) after a migrant boat sank off Lebanon, Public Works and Transport Minister Ali Hamie told local radio. .
“Research continues”said Mr. Hamie, who said that the boat, which left Lebanon and sank near the coast of the city of Tripoli, in the north of the country, was carrying around sixty people.
The Lebanese Red Cross said it sent ten ambulances to Tripoli. A correspondent for Agence France-Presse (AFP) noted that the army had closed the port, allowing only ambulances to enter and return. Families of some passengers gathered to check in, but were denied entry.
“It happened because of politicians who forced unemployed Lebanese to leave the country”said a man who was waiting for news of a relative outside the port.
Reach the island of Cyprus
Lebanon, a country of about six million people, is grappling with an unprecedented financial crisis and, according to the World Bank, of a magnitude usually associated with wars. The currency has lost more than 90% of its purchasing power and the majority of the population lives below the poverty line.
According to the UN refugee agency, at least 1,570 people, including 186 Lebanese, left or attempted to leave Lebanon illegally by sea between January and November 2021. Most hoped to reach the island of Cyprus, member from the European Union, 175 kilometers away. This figure is up from 270 passengers, including 40 Lebanese, in 2019.
Most of those trying to leave Lebanon by sea are Syrian refugees, but increasing numbers of Lebanese are joining their ranks.
