Four migrants drowned and ten remain missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Tobruk, eastern Libya, the UNHCR reported Sunday.
The vessel carried 31 people, of whom 17 survived, while the fate of the others remains uncertain, the agency said.
UNHCR did not disclose the migrants’ nationalities but stressed the dangers faced by people fleeing conflict and instability.
“People risk the sea when war leaves them no safe way out,” the agency wrote on Facebook Sunday.
It called for expanded safe and legal migration pathways to prevent such deadly crossings in the future.
The incident underscores the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Libya, where migrants frequently attempt perilous journeys across the Mediterranean Sea.
International agencies have repeatedly warned that conflict, displacement, and limited legal options are driving migrants into life-threatening conditions.
Local authorities and rescue organisations continue efforts to locate the missing migrants amid the region’s volatile maritime conditions.
The tragedy adds to the growing toll of migrant deaths in the Mediterranean, highlighting persistent gaps in international protection.
UNHCR urged governments and the global community to prioritise humanitarian access, safe migration routes, and coordinated rescue operations at sea.