“WHO is working with national health authorities and partners on the ground to respond to increasing health needs, but roadblocks remain a major challenge to the delivery of health care, especially ambulances that are unable to reach the injured,” said Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain, WHO Representative in Libya. “With greater numbers of injured civilians expected, it is imperative that doctors and other health staff be allowed to move freely so that they can save lives without delay, and without risk to their own personal safety.”
Since mid-2014, fighting in populated areas has continued across Libya, leading to civilian casualties, attacks on health staff and health facilities, and resulting in mass displacement. In the last 12 months alone, an estimated 1.1 million people have been directly affected by the ongoing crisis and are in need of health aid, including more than 180 000 people who are internally displaced.
