At least 56 people have been killed in Libya since fighting broke out in the capital, the United Nations has said.
Among those killed include two doctors and one ambulance driver, the U.N.’s World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement. It did not specify if the others were civilians or combatants.
More than 4,500 people have also been displaced by the fighting, most moving away from homes in conflict areas to search for refuge in other cities. Thousands more are however trapped in the capital.
The Libyan National Army (LNA) forces of eastern commander Khalifa Haftar are battling soldiers allied to Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj.
The latest incident has killed hopes of an election in the North African country. The two sides had agreed to work towards a national vote to create a democratically elected government.
Libya has been at war for nearly a decade, heightened by the killing of former leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Gaddafi’s death created a void that various armed groups sought to take advantage of.
The chaos in Libya enabled the breeding of various militant groups, including human trafficking rings that made the North African country a preferred departure point for migrants seeking to reach Europe.
Following the latest eruption of violence in the country, U.N. humanitarian agency OCHA said it was extremely concerned about the “disproportionate and indiscriminate use” of explosive weapons in densely populated areas.
Half a million children were at risk, it added.
