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The decomposed bodies of five suspected migrants have been recovered in eastern Libya. The remains were found around 550 kilometers south of Tobruk, in an area known as the Great Sand Sea.

Libya’s Red Crescent organization told new agencies that the recovered remains were discovered around 550 kilometers south of Tobruk, and that the bodies were in a state of decomposition on discovery.

On Wednesday (September 24), the Red Crescent stated that death was just one of the "tragedies that embody the grave dangers faced by migrants traveling through the desert," adding that the journey was known as "the death journey."

A local aid group in Libya, Abreen, that tracks migrant deaths in the country, told the news agency Associated Press (AP) in a statement that they believed the bodies may have belonged to Sudanese migrants.

Recovery operation

The local aid organization Abreen posted photos of the recovery operation on its Facebook site. Some of those recovering the bodies were wearing jackets bearing the insignia of the Red Crescent; others had military or police uniforms on.

One photo showed tattered clothes laid out in the sand, a green khaki shirt and a pair of combat trousers. In another shot, one of the recovery workers was holding up a Red item of clothing that looked like it might have belonged to a woman.

However, no details have yet been given about the gender of the bodies found. The bodies appeared to have been buried in the sand. One picture also depicted the sand on top of what appeared to be the outlines of a box or coffin.

Dangers of the desert

In May this year, at least seven Sudanese migrants are confirmed to have died after the vehicle they were traveling in broke down in the Libyan desert, after crossing the border from Chad, reported AP, quoting Ebrahim Belhassan, director of the Kufra Ambulance and Emergency Services.

Those who died were discovered in the sand dunes, explained Belhassan, after they had run out of food and water.

According to data provided by the IOM, around 787,000 migrants and refugees were thought to be living in Libya at the end of 2024.

File photo: The desert presents numerous dangers for migrants hoping to reach Libya and continue their journeys towards Europe | Photo: Robert Harding/ picture alliance

Libya shares a border with six countries and is a major transit and departure point for migrants coming from Africa and the Middle East, as well as even South Asia, on their journeys towards Europe.

Rival factions

Traveling through the country is dangerous, both because of the vast expanses of desert, but also because of the potential for attack by armed gangs and militias, or abuse and exploitation operated by many different groups and gangs that have proliferated in the instability following the downfall of former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Since then, Libya has descended into civil war and is currently governed by at least two main factions. The UN-recognized government in the capital, Tripoli, and largely presiding over the western half of Libya, and a rival government in the east under Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.

Many of the current migrant boat departures from Libya are setting off from the east of the country at the moment.

The UN and numerous other humanitarian organizations, as well as news agencies, have reported on and warned against the dangers facing migrants in Libya.

Mass graves

In June this year, the UN Human Rights Chief confirmed that "dozens of bodies" were "discovered at official and unofficial detention sites in Libya." In a statement at the time, Türk said that "the grim findings confirm deep concerns about abuse and torture at the facilities."

File photo: Bodies of migrants lie in bags after they were discovered in a mass grave north of Kufra city, Libya February 13, 2025 | Photo: Reuters

The identity of the bodies could not be confirmed, but it was suspected that at least those found in mass graves and detention sites could have been migrants.

The UN said that over 80 bodies were discovered in May following clashes between armed groups and security forces. Deaths affected civilians and military alike. In February, mass graves were also discovered in Libya, containing more than 100 bodies at two different sites, in Jakharrah and Al-Kufra.

"Many of these bodies were migrants who are uniquely vulnerable to human trafficking, forced disappearances and killings," stated the UN Migration Agency IOM.

In 2024, the IOM recorded more than 1,000 deaths and disappearances in Libya.

With AP