UN Allocates $2Mln To Assist Civilians Trapped In Conflict In Libya - Humanitarian Office

Muhammad Irfan Published April 18, 2019 | 11:07 PM

The United Nations allocated $2 million to provide humanitarian assistance to civilians trapped in the ongoing fighting in Libya, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a press release on Thursday

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th April, 2019) The United Nations allocated $2 million to provide humanitarian assistance to civilians trapped in the ongoing fighting in Libya, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a press release on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) completed the relocation of 179 of the most vulnerable refugees who were trapped in a detention center amid crossfire in the Libyan capital of Tripoli.

"Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock today allocated $2 million from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to provide life-saving assistance to civilians caught up in the escalating fighting in Libya, including vulnerable migrants and refugees," the release said.

The funds will help hospitals in Tripoli acquire needed medical supplies, provide aid agencies with food and relief items, and assist in the safe relocation of refugees, Lowcock said.

On Tuesday, several rockets were launched at Tripoli. According to the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), 14 people were killed and 40 injured in the attack. The Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, which has besieged Tripoli in recent weeks, told Sputnik it was not responsible for the rocket attack.

Violence in Libya has escalated since April 4, when Haftar ordered his troops to advance on Tripoli in a bid to drive what he called terrorist forces out of the city. In response, armed forces loyal to the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) started a military operation against the LNA.

According to the World Health Organization, at least 189 people have been killed and another 816 wounded since the start of Haftar's offensive.