Rising hostilities in Libya are taking a heavy toll on civilians, UN aid official warns

Rising hostilities in Libya are taking a heavy toll on civilians, UN aid official warns
Rising hostilities in Libya are taking a heavy toll on civilians, UN aid official warns

Continued clashes between different militias in the Libyan capital have trapped many civilians and displaced numerous families, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

An estimated 5,000 families, 1,700 of them in the last two days, have sought refuge with relatives in safer areas of the city and its outskirts since the fighting began on August 26.

“Many are afraid to leave their homes due to looting by armed groups or criminal elements. As fighting intensifies, the number of civilians affected by violence will increase,” UN Humanitarian Coordinator María Ribeiro said in a statement.

“In addition, the clashes have caused a disruption of basic services such as electricity and water.”

The Humanitarian Country Team in Libya warned of the dire consequences of the worsening humanitarian crisis in Tripoli and called for unconditional, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access to affected civilians in Tripoli.

He urged all parties to the conflict to take measures to protect civilians and civilian facilities.

On September 4, armed groups in Tripoli signed a ceasefire agreement under the auspices of the United Nations Special Representative Ghassan Salamé and the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).

However, an increasing number of ceasefire violations have led to the deaths of dozens of civilians.

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