Geneva [Switzerland], June 1: The United Nations has on Friday said more than 90,000 people living in Libya have been displaced since April as an outcome of military combat between UN-backed interim GNA (Government of National Accord) and Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar-led military forces in capital Tripoli.
According to ANI news reports, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres‘s deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq, in a media briefing, said more than 8000 Libyans were displaced this week, in which half of them were believed to be children.
The deputy spokesperson was quoted by Xinhua as saying, “Aid workers continue to provide assistance to the internally displaced and to other vulnerable people impacted by the hostilities, with more than 47,000 people in Tripoli and surrounding areas having received help to date.”
According to the World Health Organization’s recent report, over 390 people have yet lost their lives and more than 1,900 others have been reported wounded since the fight began on April 12.
Haftar is the leader of a military assault on Tripoli, the Libyan capital, in opposition to the internationally recognized Libyan government.
In April, the White House said the United States has “recognized Field Marshal Haftar’s significant role in fighting terrorism and securing Libya’s oil resources, and President Donald Trump and Haftar discussed a shared vision for Libya’s transition to a stable, democratic political system”, according to ANI news reports
Since the death of dictator Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has been divided into two sectors. The Libyan National Army (LNA) backed parliament controls the east of Libya, while the United Nations-backed interim GNA (Government of National Accord) holds control over the western region on Libya from Tripoli.
While Washington supports the UN-backed interim GNA led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, the American military officers and diplomats maintain contacts with Russia-backed Haftar LNA.
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