LIBYA: Humanitarian response continues to scale up

In Libya, Mohamed Othman holds his two-day-old daughter, Entisah. Her name means "Victory" in Arabic. Entisah was born in this make-shift, tented camp, around 25km from Ajdabiya. The camp houses many families from the thousands that fled Ajdabiya along the desert highway as fighting escalated in the town during Libya's armed uprising. With no access to the hospital, the birth was traditional. Credit: UNHCR/Phil Moore

The protection of civilians remains one of the fundamental concerns as fighting wages on in Misrata and
other parts of Libya. Although the exact number of civilian deaths due to the conflict is unknown, human
rights organizations, UNICEF and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights have all confirmed civilian deaths, including children as young as nine months, medical personnel and humanitarian workers.

Critical humanitarian needs inside Libya still include medical supplies and personnel, in particular in locations where fighting is ongoing. In most other areas, reports indicate that stocks of food, water and some medical supplies are sufficient for one to two months. However, if the crisis continues, existing social safety networks will be depleted and coping capacities will diminish, increasing needs for basic supplies and services even in areas where the conflict level is low. Preliminary findings of the recent inter-agency multi-sector assessment mission confirmed that the lack of resupply for the regular food provision systems may trigger a food security crisis eastern Libya within as little as two months. Early recommended actions include replenishing food stocks and inputs for local production, and providing assistance to maintain social safety nets and consumer subsidy schemes.

Around 4,700 people still await evacuation assistance from Misrata, including third-country nationals (TCNs), vulnerable people and the wounded. IOM has evacuated 4,100 people so far, and evacuations are ongoing with support from the governments of Australia, the United Kingdom and the European Union. A number of other humanitarian organisations have evacuated people from Misrata. At least 9,870 people have been
evacuated by humanitarian organisations.

More>> OCHA Situation Report #29  -  Misrata Fact Sheet (24 April)