MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Should a COVID-19 outbreak begin in Libya, it will overwhelm the war-torn country’s already overstretched healthcare system, Jennifer Bose Ratka, public information officer at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Libya, said.
The first COVID-19 case was confirmed in Libya on 25 March. The country’s response measures risk being greatly undermined by a long-lasting conflict between two rival administrations, in the East and the West, with ongoing occasional armed hostilities.
Last week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called upon the rival governments to lay down their arms and adhere to a temporary draft ceasefire agreement negotiated by the Libyan Joint Military Commission (5+5) in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Humanitarian Barriers Amid COVID-19 Curfews
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Libya has received 164 reports from humanitarian actors about difficulties regarding access brought about by COVID-19 related curfews, according to the official.
Earlier this week, another international humanitarian agency, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), announced it would suspend some of its operations in Libya, particularly with regard to activities in refugee arrival centres and detention facilities, in light of the shortage of personal protective equipment for its staff. It has sparked concerns within the migrant community in Libya that they will end up cut off from international aid.
She said the agency had taken measures to change the way it operates in line with WHO and national guidelines to minimise the risk of viral transmissions, particularly by adhering to a do-no-harm approach that includes remote coordination by virtual means and increased social distancing on the ground.
On ‘Very Limited Funds’ Available in Libya Amid COVID-19
The shortage of funds available for Libya to tackle the coronavirus pandemic is a further strain on the war-torn country’s weakened economy with humanitarian access difficulties, Jennifer Bose Ratka said.
The 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan that she mentioned was launched by the United Nations on Wednesday to stream some $2 billion into the world’s most vulnerable countries to handle the spread of COVID-19. Coordinated by OCHA, it brings together appeals from the World Health Organisation and other UN humanitarian agencies.
Ratka said the pandemic was already compounding Libya’s tenuous economic situation and this will likely “significantly hamper the humanitarian response to the broader Libya crisis”, specifically with regard to assistance to migrants, refugees, and the more than 345,000 people located in the conflict’s frontline areas, which per se makes them even more vulnerable to COVID-19.
According to her, OCHA’s assistance in Libya covers the coordination of medical equipment and tests, handwashing stations and other sanitation support, essential public information campaigns, training for national health workers, and logistics.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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