The United Nations on Friday called out for the release and evacuation of more than 1,500 detained refugees and migrants who were caught in the crossfire of fight led by a self-styled Libyan army commander’s military campaign to capture the capital.
The Gen Haftar led Libyan National Army (LNA) has launched a fight to take control of Tripoli from Libya’s UN-backed internationally recognized government led by Fayez al-Sarraj in Libya.
According to the U.N. refugee agency, the refugees and migrants are believed to be trapped in detention centers where hostilities are increasing.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said fighting continued Friday on the outskirts of Tripoli. He said U.N. humanitarian officials report that around 10,000 people have fled their homes in areas affected by the ongoing fighting.
“We are concerned about the impact of these clashes on the already difficult living conditions of ordinary Libyans,” he said, reported Global News.
Dujarric added local evacuation teams have received requests to move some 3,800 people to safer areas, but only around 550 people have been evacuated so far due to access restrictions caused by hostilities.
Meanwhile, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said the refugees and migrants in detention centers are in the most vulnerable and dangerous of circumstances.
“They have fled conflict or persecution in their own countries only to be trapped as conflict engulfs them again,” Grandi said in a statement. “The risks to their lives are growing by the hour. They must be urgently brought to safety. Simply put, this is a matter of life or death.”
He said detention centers in proximity to the fighting include the Ain Zara, Qasr Bin Ghasheer and the Abu Sleim facilities. All the detention centers are located south of Tripoli. The international body has only been able to relocate 150 refugees from the Ain Zara center due to security and access issues.
