About 10% of known Libya flood deaths were migrants
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Migrants flock to Libya in large numbers. Approximately 706,000 migrants lived in the North African country in February 2023, according to the IOM, an agency of the United Nations.

Many people live and work in Libya long-term, while others use it as a transit point to reach Europe.

The IOM reports that 400 migrants have died in the floods, but warns that the death toll is likely to change as bodies are recovered.

According to the IOM and WHO, a total of 3,900 deaths have been confirmed. Nevertheless, officials have given widely varying statistics based on different methodologies, such as the mayor of Libyan city Derna, who estimates that more than 20,000 people perished.

The floods hit Derna the hardest. Heavy rains caused two dams to burst, flooding swathes of the city.

It is expected that the death toll of migrants will be particularly high, as they were settled in low-lying areas in the port city before the flood, IOM director of emergencies Federico Soda said.

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