WUNRN
LIBYA – WOMEN DISPLACED, FLEEING VIOLENCE – ACUTE
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS – MANY AID WORKERS LEAVE LIBYA WITH DETERIORATING SECURITY
http://unsmil.unmissions.org/Portals/unsmil/Libya%20human%20rights%20update%2023.12.14%20EN.pdf
UN REPORT - UPDATE ON VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS & HUMANITARIAN LAW DURING THE ONGOING VIOLENCE IN LIBYA
By the United Nations Support Mission in Libya & Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights – 23 December 2014
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LIBYA - HUNDREDS OF CIVILIANS KILLED AS CRISIS DEEPENS - http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/23/us-libya-security-un-idUSKBN0K10RV20141223
Violence across Libya has led to what has been described as a “deteriorating displacement crisis” by the UN Support Mission in the country (UNSMIL).
Women at Friday Prayers in Benghazi - http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/2014/11/libya-suffers-deteriorating-displacement-crisis/#.VJxv2l4A_A
http://www.firstpost.com/fwire/un-warns-of-catastrophic-results-due-to-libya-conflicts-2014859.html
LIBYA – UN WARNS OF ACUTE CIVILIAN CRISIS – MASS DISPLACEMENT – ARMED GROUPS FIGHTING – WOMEN & CHILDREN
Tripoli, Dec 24, 2014 (IANS) The persistent fighting in recent months between the armed groups in Libya has resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths, mass displacement and acute humanitarian conditions for those trapped in conflict zones, the UN warned Tuesday.
A report published jointly by the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the UN Human Rights Office documents indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas, abduction of civilians, torture and reports of executions and deliberate destruction of property across the country, Xinhua reported.
The fighting between rival armed groups in western Warshefana area has killed an estimated 100 people and left 500 injured between late August and early October, forcing at least 120,000 people to flee their homes with severe shortages of food and medical supplies, the report said.
The fighting in Nafusa mountains bordering Warshefana has also resulted in 170 deaths, according to the report.
In the eastern city of Benghazi, 450 people have reportedly been killed since the fighting escalated in mid-October. Residents there are facing serious shortcomings in medical care as hospitals have been hit or occupied by the armed groups.
UNSMIL also received reports on fighters wearing uniforms of the Libyan Red Crescent Society and using one of its ambulances to carry out a suicide attack in Benghazi.
Tit-for-tat attacks on properties have also led to the destruction of many houses. More than 15,000 families have been displaced from Benghazi, the report added.
"Dozens of civilians have been abducted, solely for their actual or suspected tribal, family or religious affiliation, as hostages in order to exchange them for others held by the opposing side," the report said.
Political and human rights activists, media professionals and other public figures have been targetted by armed groups,and many of them have been abducted, threatened or their homes have been looted or burned, the report added.
The Special Representative of the secretary-general for Libya, Bernardino Leon, urged all sides of the conflict to immediately cease armed hostilities.
Libya has been witnessing a frayed political process after the 2011 turmoil, which toppled its leader Muammar Gaddafi, and is now juggling two rival parliaments and governments.
According to the country's transitional plan, the June-elected parliament, the House of Representatives (HOR), has already replaced the former interim General National Congress (GNC).
However, the armed Islamist alliance Libya Dawn, which has achieved a series of military progress since July in western Libya, backed the GNC to resume power and form its own government against the new one.
The internationally recognised HOR has been struggling to regain the lost territories and had earlier launched several air strikes on the areas controlled by the Islamist militants.
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European Commission Humanitarian Aid Department
Summary: 22 December 2014, Brussels - The European Commission is
providing additional humanitarian assistance to Libyans who have been forced to
flee their homes amid the increasing instability and violence, which has
plagues the country over recent months. It is estimated that nearly 400,000
people have been displaced due to fighting in Libya since May this year.
The EU support will help address some of the most acute needs
such as food, shelter, medical assistance, psycho-social support, warm
clothing, and heaters.
“It is clear that there are huge needs and the emergency aid we
are providing can be a lifeline to some of the most vulnerable families caught
up in the conflict," said the EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and
Crisis Management Christos Stylianides.
“The fighting has had a severe impact on the
lives of civilians, with houses and infrastructure destroyed, basic services
severely disrupted and shortages of medical supplies. People forced to leave
areas of conflict are finding it hard to access food and basic needs – which is
why the aid we are providing now is so crucial.”
The country’s political crisis has continued to deepen, despite
repeated calls for a ceasefire. Clashes have occurred in both the east and west
of the country, spreading to the south in October and November.
The worsening security situation has hampered
humanitarian access. Most international aid workers have left the country, leaving
local personnel to cope with an increased workload and a rapidly deteriorating
humanitarian environment.
Background
Libya’s security situation has seriously deteriorated over the
last four months and remains highly volatile. Since the fall of Colonel Muammar
Gaddafi in 2011, no central government has been able to take charge and the
country has been plagued by instability and infighting.
Intense violence in Tripoli, Benghazi and other Libyan cities in
recent months has resulted in grave violations of human rights abuses,
including indiscriminate attacks against civilians and the forced displacement
of around 290 000 people within the country and around 100000 more forced to
flee into neighboring countries.
The Ministry of Health has warned of the need to prevent a
collapse in the health system after thousands of foreign health workers were
evacuated from the country.
Food supplies in Tripoli, parts of Benghazi and other reception
towns are facing problems because stocks are low, banks are closed and cash has
become a rare commodity. There are also concerns about ensuring water supplies
and electricity.
The constraints on humanitarian access mean that it is difficult
to accurately assess the numbers of displaced and in need of assistance.