Libyans view virus lockdown as another inconvenience
tripoli — Already tired of the tribulations of war, Libyans in the capital Tripoli are reluctant to respect intensified lockdown measures introduced on Friday to forestall coronavirus.
The round-the-clock curfew was flagged by the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) on Wednesday night and will apply for 10 days in areas under its control, although people are allowed to shop on foot between 7am and noon.
An earlier curfew had forbidden only night-time movement. Driving is now banned.
Data from authorities shows 49 people have so far tested positive for coronavirus in the country.
Hassan, a 52-year-old who only gave his first name, ignored the restrictions as he drove to fill water containers, while artillery boomed in the distance.
I don’t have a choice. With my back pain, I can’t carry all this on foot for 500 metres Hassan a 52-year-old-man
“I don’t have a choice,” he said. “With my back pain, I can’t carry all this on foot” for 500 metres — the distance from his house to the well at the neighbourhood mosque.
The capital’s water supply has been cut since April 6 by an armed group in a region to the south under the control of Khalifa Haftar, the eastern-based strongman who has been fighting to seize Tripoli, the seat of the GNA, since last April.
Ahead of the driving ban, long queues formed outside petrol stations on Thursday. And while Tripoli’s usual traffic has reduced, there are still cars on the road, particularly in the suburbs where there are few police to enforce the lockdown.
“There is nearly nothing around us, without a car we can’t do the shopping, especially to buy cooking gas, milk or water containers... only the bakery is within 500 metres of us,” said Abdel Alim al-Abded, who lives with his wife and three children on a family farm on the southeastern outskirts of Tripoli.
With sheep, chickens, and outdoor space, the family has all the meat, eggs and vegetables they need. But most Libyans are not this self-sufficient and many have not received government salaries and pensions for months. —