UN Warns of Worsening Humanitarian Conditions in Libya Amid Clashes

Fighting for control of the Libyan capital of Tripoli can worsen humanitarian conditions in the North African country, a senior UN official told Agence France Presse. “As long as the situation continues, even if it just stagnates and continues like this, we can expect to see a continuing deterioration,” UN humanitarian coordinator for Libya Maria do Valle Ribeiro said. Clashes between government troops and rebel forces have led to the deaths of sone 278 people and wounded more than 1,300, according to the World Health Organization. Libyan National Army head Khalifa Haftar’s forces launched an offensive to retake Tripoli from the internationally-backed government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj on April 4. Haftar was a general in the army of former strongman Moammar Qaddafi, who was deposed and killed in an uprising in 2011. Since then, Haftar – whose primary backers include Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and France – has refused all power-sharing proposals and does not view Serraj as a legitimate leader. Haftar claims the assault is necessary to restore order to Libya by eliminating “terrorists.”