Impossible to contain COVID-19 in war-torn countries like Libya, says United Nations

Tripoli: The United Nations has warned that an outbreak of coronavirus in Libya could be worrisome and catastrophic for the country`s Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) and other 700,000 refugees in the country.

Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees said, "In war-torn countries (like Libya) it will be impossible to contain #COVID19 unless parties agree to stop fighting, as asked by Secretary-General @antonioguterres. Peace today is thus vital to everybody`s health, and war exposes us all to the pandemic.

The country has been in turmoil since 2011 when the country`s long time leader Muammar Gaddafi was killed in a NATO-backed uprising. The Country has been further divided by a devastating civil war since 2014. The civil war is between two sides claiming the control of the country.

The fight is between the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj against the House of Representatives, allied to renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army (LNA).

UNHCR also said, "Despite the tentative agreement on a humanitarian truce in Libya, fighting escalated significantly in the past week. 300 civilians have been killed and 150,000 others displaced from their homes since last April."

Libya has so far reported 17 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, including one death. Libya has also enforced a nation-wide curfew to control the spread of the virus.