At least 65 migrants' bodies found in Libya mass grave: UN

A spokesman for the International Organization for Migration told AFP themass grave was unocovered by Libyan security forces.
The IOM said it was "profoundly shocked and alarmed". It added that thecircumstances of the deaths "remains unknown".
"But it is believed that they died in the process of being smuggled throughthe desert," the agency said in a statement.
More than a decade of violent instability since the 2011 overthrow andkilling of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in a NATO-backed uprising helped turn Libyainto a fertile ground for human traffickers, who have long been accused ofabuses against migrants, reports BSS.
The IOM said it appreciated that Libyan authorities had launched aninvestigation into the deaths. It called on them to "ensure a dignifiedrecovery, identification and transfer of the remains of the deceased migrants",and notify and assist their families.
"Each report of a missing migrant or a loss of life represents a grievingfamily searching for answers about their loved ones or acknowledging thetragedy of the loss," a spokesperson said in the statement.
"The cost of inadequate action is evident in the increasing human deathsand the disturbing conditions migrants find themselves in."
The IOM said the deaths showed "the urgent need to address the challengesof irregular migration including through a coordinated response to thesmuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons".
"Without regular pathways that provide opportunities for legal migration,such tragedies will continue to be a feature along this route," it said.
According to the IOM's Missing Migrants Project, at least 3,129 deaths anddisappearances were recorded in 2023 along the Mediterranean route to Europe,making it the world's deadliest migratory route.
The IOM called on authorities in countries along the route to "enhanceregional cooperation to ensure the safety and protection of migrants,regardless of their status, and across all stages of their journeys".