UN envoy calls for support for refugees in Libya
July 21, 2024 (KUFRA) – The Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General and United Nations Resident Humanitarian Coordinator in Libya, Georgette Gagnon has called for support for thousands of refugees in the country.
Accompanied by the heads of five UN agencies, Gagnon visited Kufra to see the situation of Sudanese refugees and host communities in Libya on July 18, 2024.
Her visit was also to guide the UN’s scaled up humanitarian response and action.
Since war broke out in Sudan in April 2023, over 1.8 million refugees, have been forced to flee to neighboring countries including to Libya, particularly to Kufra in southeastern Libya which hosts thousands of refugees from Sudan, the UN said.
“Local authorities and host communities in Kufra and other cities in Libya have been actively assisting Sudanese refugees since the conflict,” said Gagnon, adding, “More support, access and coordination are urgently needed to meet the increasing humanitarian and protection needs.”
The official said that local services are overstretched, with many refugee families in need of adequate shelter and medical facilities unable to meet healthcare and nutrition needs, including of children arriving in Libya with malnutrition.
She, however, stressed that more support to local infrastructure is also needed to ensure continued basic services for communities hosting refugees.
While in Kufra, the UN team met with doctors and patients at a medical facility supporting refugees with assistance from UN agencies including medical equipment, medicines, generators and health care professionals. Mobile health clinics are providing primary healthcare services, vaccinating nearly 20,000 children and supporting over 14,000 refugees with basic healthcare.
Sudanese refugees in Kufra expressed their appreciation for the support provided by local authorities and stressed the urgent critical need for increased assistance.
Meanwhile, the UN has launched the response plan for Sudanese refugees in Libya to provide support and ensure responsibility sharing with the state of Libya.
In support of official and community efforts, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), is coordinating the refugee response and up-scaling and deploying emergency teams to coordinate the response among all partners.
“In coordination and cooperation with local authorities, refugees and humanitarian partners, the UN in Libya is committed to providing more support to Sudanese refugees and host communities,” stressed Gagnon.
Currently, there are over 1,200 Sudanese individuals entering Libya daily from Kufra. This number represents a six-fold increase compared to December 2023. Also worth noting is that almost half of these arrivals are women and children.
These new arrivals join the already existing 40,000 Sudanese people who are scattered throughout Southeast Libya, having fled the conflict in their country.
(ST)