May 22, 2019

Anna Murray 

The United Nations envoy to Libya, Ghassan Salame, told the UN Security Council on May 21 that Libya’s civil war was touch-and-go. “The violence on the outskirts of Tripoli is just the start of a long and bloody war on the southern shores of the Mediterranean.”  A “catastrophic scenario” could happen with “grave social, economic and political repercussions” for the Libya, he said.

Since the battle for Tripoli erupted on April 4, at least 510 people have been killed; more than 2,400 are injured; more than 75,000 people have fled their homes, more than half of whom are women and children. It is estimated that at least 100,000 people are trapped in areas adjacent to the front line, and more than 400,000 people are trapped in areas directly affected by the conflict. Before the conflict broke out, the situation of refugees and immigrants had been in a difficult situation, and now it’s even worse.

Salame says that the heavy casualties have overwhelmed Libyan medical institutions, and even 11 ambulances are directly hit in the conflict. He emphasizes that attacks against medical staff constitute serious violation of international humanitarian law and he calls for accountability to the perpetrators.
 
After dictator Moammar Gadhafi was killed in 2011, the chaos resulted in a divided country, with a weak U.N.-supported administration in Tripoli overseeing the country's west and a government in the east aligned with Haftar. One side says it is receiving armored vehicles from Turkey, while the other says it is receiving them from Jordan. Salame warns that the conflict may fall into an “all-against-all” state of chaos.
 

In addition, the conflict has led to rising prices, insufficient supplies and damaged infrastructure throughout Libya, including electricity and water. The conflict heightened on the weekend, from May 18th to 19th, when the water supply to Tripoli was cut off -- the UN said it was a possible war crime. Libya's internationally recognized government accused Haftar of being behind the blockage. 
 
Libya’s political situation has been in turmoil. Terrorists and extreme organizations have taken the opportunity to expand their spheres of influence in Libya.

Photo:Webshot.