Libyan health authorities have so far not reported any cases of the coronavirus infection among refugees or asylum seekers, Caroline Gluck, a spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Libya, told Sputnik
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th May, 2020) Libyan health authorities have so far not reported any cases of the coronavirus infection among refugees or asylum seekers, Caroline Gluck, a spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Libya, told Sputnik.
"Libya currently has no reported cases or suspected cases of refugees or asylum seekers being infected with COVID-19," Gluck said.
The spokeswoman added that the UNHCR continues to "regard the spread of Coronavirus with great concern," as it considers Libya to be among the high-risk countries in the region due to its fragile public health institutions and ongoing conflict.
Gluck pointed to the fact that Libya's health care system "was already overstretched and underresourced before the pandemic," which resulted in the pandemic catching the war-torn country at a time when many hospitals and medical facilities are shut down due to the military action.
Since the onset of Libya's political disarray in 2011, the oil-rich country got practically split into a duopoly. The internationally-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) of Fayez Sarraj has established itself as the power pole in the country's west with the center in Tripoli, while the rival Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Khalifa Haftar, took control over the east with the center in Tobruk.
Following a failed offensive on Tripoli last year, the LNA forces attempted a rematch and the GNA launched a counteroffensive this past April. Despite numerous calls from international actors upon the warring parties to cease fire during the pandemic, armed confrontation has continued.
