Libya

Situation Update

• Libya has faced six years of political crisis with several local armed factions controlling different parts of the country, and prospects for Libya remain uncertain in the medium and long term. It is estimated that 217,000 people are still displaced following the fighting in 2011 which led to the downfall of the Gadhafi regime.

Clashes have erupted again in Tripoli, breaking a UN-led ceasefire reached earlier in September. From 18 to 24 September, 11 civilians were reportedly killed and 59 injured following indiscriminate shelling in populated areas. 3 845 households have reportedly been displaced, with half going to other cities in the south and east, others within Tripoli. DG ECHO's partners have provided surgical and medical equipment to health centres and provided first aid kits to Libyan Red Crescent volunteers.

Owner of two farms covering 6 hectares in the suburb of Sirte in Libya, Saud Abdel Rahman made a living growing wheat and barley and breeding and selling sheep. He lived with his wife Masouda, two of his seven children and eight of his thirty-five grandchildren before the war turned their peaceful life upside down.

Overview:

After 20 days of the ceasefire agreement between the armed groups in Tripoli, deadly fighting erupted between several armed groups in the Tripoli's southern districts on 20 September (Including Khallat Al Furjan, Ain Zara, Abu Slim, Salah Eddin and Ben Aoun). Armed groups used medium and heavy weaponry, which resulted in the displacement of thousands of civilians. Many civilians were trapped without a corridor for safe passage to flee the areas affected by the conflict.

Tripoli, 24 September 2018

I am deeply alarmed by the humanitarian impact of the escalation of hostilities in Tripoli. Eleven people have been killed, most of them civilians, and 18 injured in the past two days. This brings the total of civilian casualties since the beginning of hostilities to 115 fatalities and 560 injuries.

by Reuters
Monday, 24 September 2018 13:45 GMT

Western Libya is the main departure point for Europe-bound migrants fleeing poverty and conflict, although many drown in the attempt

TRIPOLI, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Libya's coast guard rescued 235 migrants in three separate operations on Sunday night off its western coast, a naval forces spokesman said.

Read more on Thomson Reuters Foundation

By Tasnim Abderrahim

More than 2.6 million children in need across the country

Statement on Escalation of Fighting in Tripoli, Libya

Attributable to Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa

SG/SM/19228

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary‑General António Guterres:

The Secretary‑General is alarmed by the increasing number of violations of the ceasefire agreement signed by armed groups in Tripoli on 4 September under the auspices of his Special Representative, Ghassan Salamé. He extends his condolences to those who have lost loved ones and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured as a result of the continuing violence.

Population Movements

Since the onset of hostilities on 26 August, at least 3,845 families (19,225 individuals) have been displaced. The majority of displaced civilians continue to find refuge with friends and relatives living in safer areas, while others are temporarily sheltered in schools or public buildings. UNHCR and its partner LibAid continue to monitor the situation and provide assistance to affected families in Tripoli and other locations including in Zawiya, Surman, Regdallen, Sabratha, Tarhouna, Bani Walid and Yefren.

BACKGROUND

Due to the high amount of conflict experienced in Libya following the revolution of 2011, the need for mental health care is slowly being normalized in Libyan society. Since 2017, ACTED has been active in Benghazi, implementing a UNHCR-funded program focused on increasing mental health awareness and, in turn, breaking the stigma attached to seeking mental health services.

After the onset of clashes between armed groups in Tripoli on 26 August, at least 3,845 families (approximately 19,225 individuals) have been displaced. Following a ceasefire agreement between warring parties reached on 04 September, the overall security situation in Tripoli has been improving although tensions remain high and periodic security incidents continue to be reported, particularly in neighborhoods in Southern Tripoli.

The Libyan economy builds on a long history of labour migration to the country. In the 1950s and 1960s, the discovery of oil fields in Libya led to large numbers of migrant workers from across the Middle East, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa to come to the country and work in emerging economic hubs across Libya.

Between 1970 and 1982, the proportion of foreign workers in the total active labour force increased from 11% to 50%. Migrants came with various skill levels, working in oil fields, but equally in the construction and agricultural sectors.

Key figures:

192,513 Libyans currently internally displaced (IDPs)

372,741 returned IDPs (returns registered in 2016 - April 2018)

55,413 registered refugees and asylumseekers in the State of Libya

20,254 persons arrived in Italy by sea in 20183

895 monitoring visits to detention centres so far in 2018

1,527 asylum-seekers and refugees released from detention so far in 2018

1,858 vulnerable refugees and asylumseekers evacuated since November 2017

Funding

USD 85 M required for 2018

The Security Council today adopted a resolution extending the mandate of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) until 15 September 2019 under the leadership of the Secretary‑General’s Special Representative.

Following clashes between armed groups in Tripoli between 27 August and 04 September, at least 2,840 families (approximately 14,200 individuals) have been displaced to Zliten, Bani Waleed, Misrata, Azzawya, Qasr Akhyar, Zintan, Msallata, Tarhouna, Garabolli, Swani Bin Adam, Tajoura and safer areas in Tripoli. Displaced households originate mostly from conflict-affected neighborhoods in Southern Tripoli; please refer to the second page of this report for more details on displacement locations and areas of origin.