Hospital, port, airport attacks hinder COVID-19 response in Libya

The International Rescue Committee has warned that a spate of recent attacks on hospitals, ports and airports in Libya will further weaken the country’s already fragile ability to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

As Tripoli was hit by shelling once again this morning, the city’s central hospital was damaged by shrapnel and 14 civilians were injured in similar attacks that impacted residential areas of the city.

Tripoli Central Hospital is one of the city’s largest hospitals and is key to the country’s COVID-19 response.

Al-Jalla Hospital in Benghazi, one of the few fully functioning health facilities remaining in Libya, also came under attack on May 10 when an armed group opened fire inside the Intensive Care Unit.

Several pieces of equipment were severely damaged, including seven respirators, a number of monitors and an ultrasound machine.

Health facilities and staff are protected under international humanitarian law yet such attacks continue in Libya without proper investigation.

Two passenger planes have also been reportedly damaged when heavy shelling hit Mitiga Airport – the only functioning airport in the country – on Saturday.

Mitiga is currently Libya’s only functioning airport and a key route for bringing humanitarian supplies into the country.

Additionally, 26 migrants were trapped on a boat off the Libyan coast for four days when intensive bombardments on Tripoli Central Port meant it was not deemed safe enough for them to be disembarked.

Tom Garofalo, the International Rescue Committee’s Libya Country Director said, “Attacks on hospitals in Libya are becoming far too frequent. Although thankfully no one was hurt today, Tripoli Central Hospital has 5,000 staff and 950 beds, so thousands of lives were at risk.

“Indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure seem to be turning into a hallmark of the Libyan conflict. This year so far there have now been 17 attacks on field hospitals, ambulances, health care workers and medical supplies – further decimating the country’s already struggling health system.”

He continued that “At least 80 people have been killed since January as a result of the fighting, and dozens more have been wounded. Libyans still do hope – even after a year of seeing little action – that the international community will at last hold those bombing civilians to account, enforce the arms embargo and take action to stop the fighting.

“Attacks on healthcare are a violation of international humanitarian law and it is long past time for the perpetrators of these attacks to be held accountable. With our health teams now fighting a pandemic in addition to overcoming the challenges of providing health care in a war zone, getting medical supplies into the country is more important than it has ever been.”

“The conflict continues to force thousands of people to risk their lives in an attempt to escape the violence and reach Europe. So far this year, 3,078 people have been intercepted at sea and, just last week, 26 people were stuck on a boat off the coast of Tripoli for four days because heavy shelling meant it was not safe for them to be disembarked.

“Our teams were on the shore waiting to assist them, but the mission had to be aborted due to the intensity of the bombardments. They were finally able to come ashore on Sunday night, but it is unclear where they are now and we are urgently trying to locate them so that we can provide medical assistance and support,” Tom added

“There is no doubt that it is civilians who are paying the highest price of this conflict. They are finding it extremely hard to worry about COVID-19 when they are more worried about losing their lives because of the fighting.

“To successfully fight this pandemic, we need an immediate ceasefire. But to ensure people’s safety in the long-term, it is imperative that we return to the UN-led peace process and that the UN Secretary General and member states ensure there is accountability for attacks against healthcare workers and facilities. We call for the immediate establishment of a UN focal point to report on and investigate such attacks,” he concluded.