Source: Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) |

Libya: Tripoli Clashes Situational Report No.15 (As of 22 April 2019)

Some 34,100 people have been forced to flee their homes

Some 34,100 displaced individuals have been identified since the onset of the crisis

TRIPOLI, Libya, April 23, 2019/APO Group/ --

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Well into the third week of fighting in and around Tripoli, armed conflict continues across multiple areas, including Khallat Farjan, Al-Aziziyah and Ain Zara, south of central Tripoli. A marked increase in precision airstrikes has been reported over the past few days in Abu Salim,
    Wadi al-Rabie, alSwani, Ain Zara and in the vicinity of Tripoli International Airport. As a direct result of armed conflict, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate.

  • Some 34,100 people have been forced to flee their homes, as per DTM displacement tracking, while an unconfirmed number of civilians remain trapped in conflict-affected areas. Trapped civilians are either unable to flee due to conflict dynamics, or unwilling to leave due to fear of looting of their premises due to perceived political affiliation. This includes nearly 3,600 refugees and migrants who are located in Detention Centers in conflict-affected areas or areas in close proximity to clashes.

  • No new civilian casualties were verified during the past 48 hours. Since the beginning of the conflict, some 89 civilian casualties, including 20 fatalities have been verified, noting here that verified casualty numbers always represent the absolute minimum, and that unconfirmed numbers could well be higher.

34,100 people internally displaced by ongoing hostilities

89 civilian casualties confirmed, including 20 civilian fatalities

20,800 people assisted with some form of humanitarian assistance since the onset of crisis

$10.2M funding required for Tripoli Flash Appeal

SITUATION OVERVIEW

  • Armed conflict continues across multiple areas, including Khallat Farjan, Al-Aziziyah and Ain Zara, south of central Tripoli. A marked increase in precision airstrikes has been reported over the past few days in Abu Salim, Wadi al-Rabie, al-Swani, Ain Zara and in the vicinity of Tripoli International Airport. As a direct result of armed conflict, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. On the ground, frontlines have largely remained static and the number of ground engagements and intensity of rocket/mortar attacks has reduced from previous days.

  • At least 89 civilian casualties, including 20 fatalities, have been verified since the beginning of the conflict, with no new casualty figures verified in the past 48 hours. These casualties include medical personnel, women and children, and at least one refugee/migrant.

  • Refugees and migrants in urban settings report to face discrimination with regards to their to access collective shelters, with reports of them being routinely requested to provide health certificates as a pretext for denying them access to collective shelters. In response, a dedicated collective shelter under the supervision of the Libyan Red Cross has been set up in a school building in downtown Tripoli to receive exclusively refugees and migrants. Humanitarian partners continue to advocate for the rights of refugees and migrants regarding their safe and unimpeded access to shelter space and access other life-saving assistance.

  • Nearly 3,600 refugees and migrants remain trapped in detention centres (DCs) that are in conflict-affected areas or in areas at risk of armed conflict. Beyond the threat posed by ongoing fighting, refugees and migrants in the Qasr Bin Ghasheer, Abusliem, Triq al Sika, Al Sabaa, Tajoura, Janzour and Gharyan DCs face dire living conditions, with the lack of food being of particular concern. A solution to the breakdown in food provision at DCs has yet to be found, since the companies contracted by local authorities to provide food to the affected DCs have ceased deliveries due to the security situation. On 21 April, a local partner overcame roadblocks and checkpoints to deliver a supply of dry rations to the Qasr Bin Ghasheer DC, as an interim measure only intended to last for three days prior to running out. In the Gahryan DC the WASH situation is extremely poor and, according to IOM and UNHCR, the site has been without drinking water for several days. Further reports were received that armed forces are currently located inside the Gharyan DC, increasing the protection concerns faced by the civilians detained there. On 21 April, a mother gave birth in Qasr Bin Ghasheer DC without medical assistance, as ambulances reportedly are refusing to attend to medical cases in the DC. On 22 April the mother and infant were transferred to a private clinic.

  • Medical facilities and personnel continue to be subject to indiscriminate shelling. To date three health workers (two doctors and one ambulance driver) have been killed and one doctor injured. These incidents further hamper the ability of already overstretched health services to provide vital assistance to civilians, including those inured as a result of armed conflict.

  • Some 34,100 displaced individuals have been identified since the onset of the crisis, including an increase of nearly 1,800 IDPs whose displacement has been recorded within the last 48 hours, according to DTM-IOM. New IDPs were identified in Sabratha, Garabolli, Tarhouna, Al Khums, Bani Waleed and Zwara. The majority of IDPs are staying with family or in private accommodations, while over 2,200 IDPs are currently sheltered in 16 collective centers set up by local authorities.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).