The death toll from the clashes in Libya between the eastern-based army and the UN-backed government forces has increased to 147, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
WHO said in a tweet that 614 others had been wounded since commander Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive earlier this month to take Tripoli.
#LibyaCrisis toll now 147 dead and 614 wounded. WHO has deployed surgical teams to support #Tripoli-area hospitals as they cope with the influx of trauma cases. @OCHA_Libya @UNSMILibya @WHOEMRO
— World Health Organization in Libya (@WHOLIBYA) April 14, 2019
This situation is even direr for health workers who continue to face difficulties under heavy bombardments.
WHO said that the organization has provided emergency supplies to field hospitals, warning that “the work of ambulances and hospital teams is being hampered by continuous shelling and armed clashes, including heavily populated residential areas.”
At least three health workers, including two doctors, have been killed. WHO also confirmed two more ambulances were attacked in the fighting raising the number to eight since violence began. The organization strongly condemned the attacks on vehicles of health workers in an earlier tweet.
Two more ambulances were struck in #Libya Saturday during the #Tripoli fighting, bringing the total number to 8 since the violence began. WHO strongly condemns repeated attacks on health care workers, vehicles. @OCHA_Libya @WHOEMRO @WHO @UNSMILibya #NotATarget pic.twitter.com/mscpuwzi7q
— World Health Organization in Libya (@WHOLIBYA) April 13, 2019
Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) launched a military campaign on April 4 to take over the capital Tripoli where the UN-backed government is based.
The UN-backed government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj pledged to protect Tripoli. Forces loyal to al-Serraj have so far managed to hold off Haftar’s forces.
Last week, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi met with Haftar in Cairo to discuss the offensive amid mounting international pressure to end the campaign.
