Some 1,000 migrants in the Sfax delegation of El Amra received aid from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Tunisia on December 18-19.
This action was carried out in partnership with the Tunisian Red Crescent (CRT) in Sfax and in coordination with the relevant authorities in the governorate of Sfax and the delegation of Al Amra, according to an IOM press release.
The migrants, including women, children and the sick, received blankets, clothing, hygiene kits and other supplies to help them cope with the cold winter season.
The IOM will continue to work with the CRT and its partners to provide winter humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable migrants, according to the same source.
Official spokesman for the National Guard Houssem Eddine Jebabli had stated before to TAP that Tunisia has become a country of residence for migrants, pointing out that most of those arriving as part of irregular migration are from sub-Saharan African countries.
The growing activity of human trafficking ne
tworks has prompted a large number of migrants to choose Tunisia as their destination of residence, while others have chosen to head for Europe, Jebabli explained.
He pointed out that investigations have revealed that a large number of irregular migrants arriving from sub-Saharan Africa choose to settle in the Centre region (the coasts of Sfax, Kerkennah and Mahdia) in search of jobs in the port industries, adding that some migrants buy boat engines and build migration boats themselves without any safety standards.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse