MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th August, 2023) People in Libya are still bearing the brunt of the protracted civil war on the country's economy, environment and healthcare system, prompting the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to adapt its activities to the situation, Mutsa Mugangavari, the deputy head of the regional delegation at the ICRC in Southern Africa, told Sputnik.
"Libya is now experiencing the consequences of a protracted crisis, with less emergency needs and more long-term needs to withstand and adapt to these consequences. The ICRC has adjusted its activities so that they focus on reinforcing the capacity of the most vulnerable people and of essential services to cope with decreased economic resources and damages to infrastructure, while at the same time retaining an ability to support a response to acute needs that may still occur," Mugangavari said.
The United Nations estimates that nearly 300,000 people in Libya need humanitarian assistance, and although some displaced persons are believed to be able to return to their places of origin in recent years, which allegedly may signal an improved security situation in various locations, an estimated 143,000 people still remain in displacement, the deputy head of the ICRC regional delegation stated.
"The extensive explosive hazard contamination continues to pose a threat to the lives and livelihoods of civilians living in their vicinity and acts as a major impediment to the return of displaced populations," Mugangavari explained, adding that infrastructure and services were gradually deteriorating with regard to health, water and sanitation.
Libya has been grappling with multiple crises after the 2011 Western military intervention overthrew its longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi and created a power vacuum that split the nation into rival factions. Although warring parties agreed on a historic ceasefire in 2020, the differences have never been ironed out, with the country continuing to be ruled by two contending governments. The UN has been struggling to fill the void by helping Libyans hold a general election, although internal divisions led it to cancel the vote set for 2021.
The UN estimates that the conflict in Libya has forced about a million people from their homes, with the vast majority struggling to meet their basic needs, maintain health and feel safe. Although some of those displaced have returned to places of their origin in recent years, the population is still dealing with the negative consequences of the hostilities and ongoing clashes and living in conditions of an acute humanitarian crisis.
