An escalation in Libya’s war is straining the country’s ability to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, the acting United Nations envoy said, as foreign powers intervening continue to flout an arms embargo.
“It’s incredibly reckless. It’s inhumane, it’s stretching the capacity of local authorities and the health infrastructure that is already decimated,” Stephanie Williams told Bloomberg in an interview. “And they’re whistling past the graveyard, that’s what they’re doing.”
The intensified fighting has closed down one of Tripoli’s largest hospitals, which came under three days of shelling as the country reported at least 24 cases of coronavirus infections. It also followed the announcement of a humanitarian truce between the Government of National Accord in Tripoli and Libyan Army leader Khalifa Haftar, who has launched an offensive to take the capital.
“Every call for a truce, even when it’s accepted by both sides, seems to inevitably lead to an escalation, both by the parties on the ground but also foreign sponsors,” Williams said.
Over the past few weeks, drone strikes in support of the GNA in the capital, which is backed primarily by Turkey, have intensified, destroying a command center and killing one of Haftar’s top commanders, while also targeting supply convoys.
