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The UN agency said six bodies had been recovered from the sea while 29 others were missing, presumably dead.
Officials said the boat had capsized after heading out to sea from the western Libyan city of Sabratha, which has previously been the site of tragedy from the desperate departures of migrants across the Mediterranean.
It is not yet clear what caused the wooden boat to capsize on Friday night.
“The continuing loss of life in Mediterranean waters must not be normalized, these human lives are the result of inaction,” wrote the UN’s immigration agency.
“Landing, search and rescue capacities are needed to prevent further deaths and suffering,” the organization wrote.
Last week alone 53 people died or are presumed dead after leaving the Libyan coast, the agency said.
Libya has become a major transit route for migrants trying to reach Europe since the war that ousted power in the North African country in 2011.
Rights groups and the UN have long warned of serious crimes such as torture, sexual abuse and trafficking in people from flourishing Libyan gangs.
Immigrant center in Libya
Taking advantage of the chaos in Libya, gangs are trafficking people from the country’s long land borders with six nations.
UN investigators say they have found evidence of crimes against humanity committed by traffickers in Libya, or even by officials against migrants held in government prisons.
At least 476 have died crossing the Mediterranean illegally from January 1 to April 1 this year, according to the UN immigration agency.
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