UN warns of deadly Mediterranean crossings as only two survivors rescued.

The UN migration agency said on Monday that 53 people are dead or missing after a boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the Libyan coast, with only two survivors rescued.

The International Organization for Migration reported that the vessel overturned north of Zuwara on Friday, marking the latest tragedy involving migrants attempting the dangerous crossing to Europe.

Only two Nigerian women were rescued by Libyan authorities, the IOM said. One survivor lost her husband, while the other said she had lost two babies in the disaster. Both received emergency medical care upon disembarkation.

According to survivor accounts, the boat carrying migrants and refugees of African nationalities departed from Al-Zawiya, Libya, at around 11:00 pm on February 5 and capsized approximately six hours later after taking on water, the agency said.

The IOM said trafficking and smuggling networks are exploiting migrants along the route from North Africa to southern Europe, profiting from unsafe crossings while exposing people to severe abuse.

The agency called for stronger international cooperation to dismantle these networks and for safe and legal migration pathways to reduce risks and save lives.

The IOM fears that hundreds of people have already died this year attempting the Mediterranean crossing amid harsh weather conditions.

A European Commission spokesperson said Brussels is working to address the root causes of irregular migration and promote legal and safe pathways to the EU. The spokesperson added that the tragedy underscores the need to step up joint efforts with partners, including Libya, to prevent dangerous journeys and combat criminal smuggling networks.

Between 2014 and 2025, more than 33,000 migrants died or went missing in the Mediterranean, according to the IOM Missing Migrants Project.

Last year alone, 1,873 people went missing or died on the route, including 1,342 on the central Mediterranean path.