Attachments
CONTEXT
After a decade of governance crisis and an armed conflict between 2019 and 2020, Libya has grappled with a humanitarian crisis that has significantly affected the country’s development trajectory. These challenges have further been compounded by the impact of the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The signing of a Ceasefire Agreement in October 2020, which was brokered by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), led to a significant improvement in the security situation and a substantial reduction in humanitarian needs across the country. Overall, the number of people in need has decreased from 1.5 million in 2021, to 803,000 in 2022, and 329,000 in 2023.
The country’s relatively stable political and security situation continued in 2023 with improvements in the humanitarian situation. However, this excludes areas in eastern Libya that were affected by massive floods in September 2023, activating an emergency flood response until March 2024. The transition to recovery and reconstruction is now underway. The flood response triggered further competition between the Government of National Unity in the west (GNU) and authorities in the east, and consequently increased fragmentation within each entity. Initial unity among Libyans on crisis response turned into power struggles among Libyan political stakeholders, with each seeking to lead unilateral flood reconstruction efforts and in response to UNSMIL SRSG’s new political initiative. Libyan authorities put in place more administrative layers that impeded UN and partner access. as well as coordinated support to floodaffected people and areas. Despite a WB-UN-EU Libya Flood Rapid Disaster and Needs Assessment (RDNA), these dynamics increased fatigue among development partners as eastern authorities pursued unilateral reconstruction efforts without international oversight which western authorities (GNU and Central Bank of Libya) seek.