UN agencies warn conflict, COVID-19 pandemic present a significant threat to life in Libya

The ongoing conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic present a significant threat to life in Libya. The health and safety of the country’s entire population are at risk, warned several UN agencies in a joint statement released this Wednesday.

Despite repeated calls for a humanitarian ceasefire, including by the United Nations Secretary-General, hostilities continue unabated, hindering access and the delivery of critical humanitarian supplies, OCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNFPA, WFP, WHO, and IOM, said in the joint statement.

Humanitarian workers face significant challenges every day to carry on with their mission, as close to 400,000 Libyans have been displaced since the start of the conflict nine years ago – around half of them within the past year, since the attack on the capital, Tripoli, started.

The UN agencies reiterated their support for the Secretary-General’s call for a global ceasefire and a humanitarian pause to save lives and enable the Libyan authorities and their partners to devote their energies to stopping the spread of COVID-19.

The onset of the coronavirus in Libya poses yet another strain on the already overstretched health system, and further threatens the most vulnerable people in the country, they said.

As of May 13, there were 64 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including three deaths, in different parts of the country. This shows that local/community transmission is taking place. The risk of further escalation of the outbreak is very high.

The international community must not turn a blind eye to the conflict in Libya and its catastrophic effect on civilians, including women and children and migrants and refugees, across the country, the UN agencies said.

On Tuesday, the European Union also urged all Libyan parties to protect civilians, including migrants and refugees, by allowing and facilitating a safe, rapid and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid and services to all those affected.

The European Union, witnessing the continued escalation of violence in Libya, renews its call for a truce, as the United Nations did on the eve of Ramadan with the European Union’s backing.

The European Union demands that all parties act responsibly and immediately cease the fighting all over Libya, which is first and foremost affecting civilians, including migrants, and is placing them at even greater risk. It urges all parties having committed to a truce and a negotiated ceasefire to follow-up on these commitments.

The EU said it remains determined to see the UN arms embargo in Libya fully respected. It recalls that Operation EUNAVFOR Med Irini, approved by the European Council on March 31, aims at implementing the UN arms embargo in line with the relevant UNSC resolutions through naval, aerial and satellite assets. It underlines that all efforts must be made to ensure the full and effective implementation of relevant UNSC resolutions, also through the land and air borders with Libya.

Meanwhile, Libya is witnessing a continuous escalation between the two parties of the conflict, the Government of National Accord (GNA) that controls the capital Tripoli and is supported by Turkey and its affiliated armed militias on the one hand, and the Libyan National Army (LNA) on the other, following a series of political and field developments that have reinforced the escalation during the current period.

A Libyan military airstrike on Wednesday destroyed two vehicles transferring more than 10 mercenaries loyal to warlord Khalifa Haftar southwest of the capital Tripoli.

“The Air Force succeeded in destroying two troop carriers with more than 10 Janjaweed mercenaries [Sudanese militia] supporting the Haftar militia in Wadi Marsit,” the Libyan government-led Operation Volcano of Rage said in a statement on Facebook.

The spokesman for the Libyan Army under the GNA command Mohammed Gununu said on Tuesday that Libyan Air Force had carried out three airstrikes on Al-Watiya airbase, targeting Khalifa Haftar’s forces, military vehicles and positions, reported the Libya Observer.

Gununu also said in a statement that the Libyan Air Force had been carrying out reconnaissance missions over the central and western regions to depict movements of Haftar’s forces and their supply lines.