Tripoli: The deaths of two babies have shocked aid workers after a migrant boat sank off the coast of Libya, leaving more than 50 people dead or missing, according to the United Nations migration agency.

The small boat was carrying 55 migrants when it left the coastal town of Al Zawiya late on February 5, hoping to reach Europe. A few hours into the journey, the overcrowded vessel began to take in water and later capsized in the Mediterranean Sea near Zuwara.

Only two women survived the disaster. Both are from Nigeria. One of the survivors lost her husband, while the other lost her two babies in the sinking. Libyan authorities rescued the women and brought them ashore, where aid workers provided medical and psychological support.

The International Organization for Migration said the tragedy once again highlights the extreme risks faced by migrants, especially children, on the central Mediterranean route. Since the beginning of this year, at least 484 migrants and refugees have died or gone missing on this sea crossing. Last year, the number exceeded 1,300.

Libya remains a major transit point for people fleeing poverty, violence and instability in parts of Africa and the Middle East. Many are forced by smugglers to board unsafe and overcrowded boats, often with devastating consequences.

Humanitarian agencies say the loss of young lives in this latest incident underlines the urgent need for safer migration pathways and stronger rescue efforts to prevent further tragedies at sea.