Rising violence in Libya threatens the country's health system at the height of the coronavirus crisis

The intensification of fighting in Libya, where both sides depend on foreign support, has created the perfect scenario for the emergence of a battle for air supremacy, as the outbreak of coronavirus continues to spread throughout the country. At least 20 Turkish soldiers have been killed in an attack by the Libyan National Army (LNA) in recent hours, Haftar's troops have reported on Twitter.

According to this information, the Libyan National Army attacked a weapons and ammunition depot in the region of Abugrein, east of the western coastal city of Misrata, late Monday; an attack in which several soldiers of the Government of National Accord (GNA) militias, including a minor, have lost their lives.  This attack was partly in response to Operation Storm of Peace, an offensive launched by the GNA to attack Haftar forces in the south of the country's capital.  

LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari explained that one of the cargo planes that was attacked last Sunday was carrying medical supplies to a field hospital that was sent to fight the coronavirus outbreak in the city of Tarhuna, according to the daily Asharq Al- Awsat. "The crimes of the ANG militias - supported by Turkey - against civilians are unimaginable," he said during a press conference in Benghazi town. During this conference, Mismari insisted on the fact that the LNA respects the ceasefire and warned that "it’s determined to put an end to the Turkish invasion" in Libya.
 

In addition, on Monday several neighborhoods in Tripoli were attacked by several projectiles fired by the forces of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, according to The Libya Observer. The spokesman for the Ministry of Health of the Unity Government, Amin al-Hashemi, regretted that a foreign worker had been injured in this attack near Al-Khadra hospital, "Three people were injured in Haftar's attack on Abu Salim, including a 15-year-old boy. The bombing continues in Ghabat Al-Nasser, Hay Dimashiq and Abu Salim. At least four civilians have been injured," he explained.

So far, all the patients in this hospital - most of them with chronic diseases - have been evacuated. For his part, the humanitarian coordinator for Libya, Yacoub El Hillo, issued a statement on Monday following the attack on Al-Khadra hospital in Tripoli criticising such violations by both warring parties of the ceasefire agreement. "At a moment when people in Libya needed nothing more than a safe home and functioning medical facilities, we received the news of yet another attack on a hospital. This is a clear violation of international humanitarian law," he said.
 

"The repeated calls by the United Nations and the international community for a cessation of hostilities have only been met with complete disregard and intensified fighting. This is unacceptable at a time when healthcare and health workers are vital in our fight against a global pandemic. The 400-bed Al Khadra hospital was one of the potential COVID-19 assigned health facilities.," he lamented in this statement.

Likewise, through this declaration Yacoub El Hillo has announced that, in March 2020, at least 37 health centers have been damaged by the clashes between Haftar troops and the Government of National Accord. Of these, 14 have had to be closed and 23 others are in an unstable situation. " This senseless escalation must stop so that health authorities and aid agencies can respond to COVID-19 and continue reaching people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance," he warned. " Libyan health authorities, together with the UN and our humanitarian partners, have been racing against time to contain the spread of the virus. If Libya is to have any chance against COVID-19, the ongoing conflict must come to an immediate halt," he added.
 

Despite the efforts of the international community to reach a ceasefire, fighting in Libya has intensified since the second week of March, after Commander Haftar's forces decided to launch a new offensive to take control of Tripoli.

In response, on 25 March, the Tripoli-based National Accord Government (NAG), supported by Turkey, launched a counteroffensive, known as Operation Storm of Peace, to push back Haftar's forces.  The Moscow talks and the Berlin conference held earlier this year have been forgotten, a forgetfulness that has created the perfect scenario for escalating tensions between the two belligerent sides over control of airspace and over control of the country's capital.