UN refugee agency to step up humanitarian work in Libya

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi said on Sunday that the UNHCR is stepping up its humanitarian work in Libya to help the country tackle the worsening situation. (Photo: UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency/ Facebook)

TRIPOLI— The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi said on Sunday that the UNHCR is stepping up its humanitarian work in Libya to help the country tackle the worsening situation.

Grandi made the comments on a visit to Libya’s capital Tripoli on Sunday, where he met with refugees and migrants in some detention centers.

“I was shocked at the harsh conditions in which refugees and migrants are held, generally due to lack of resources. Children, women and men who have suffered so much already should not have to endure such hardship,” Grandi said.

“We should not underestimate the challenges of operating in an unstable and volatile environment such as Libya today. Our ability to access and effectively deliver much needed protection and assistance is a constant challenge. The people we are trying to help and my staff live and work under enormous strain and risks,” the UN official explained.

According to the UNHCR, there are about 300,000 Libyans displaced due to the ongoing conflict.

Libya has been suffering political division, insecurity and chaos since the uprising of 2011 that toppled the country’s former leader Muammar Gaddafi.