Libya battles on despite lockdown

BOTH warring factions in Libya have imposed lockdowns to guard against Covid-19 but fighting continues compounding difficulties the country faces in preparing to combat the disease.

So far, testing confirmed no cases there, but officials were worried about what would happen if and when the pandemic reached the country.

“This is a health system that was close to collapse before you get the coronavirus,” said Elizabeth Hoff, head of mission for the World Health Organisation in Libya.

Both the internationally recognised government in Tripoli, in the west, and a rival administration ruling from Benghazi in the east have imposed lockdowns, stopped foreign travel and promised resources for the health service.

The eastern-based Libyan National Army ( LNA) has been trying to capture Tripoli since last year.

Despite a ceasefire call by the UN last week to allow all sides to focus on preparing for the pandemic, fighting has continued, with shelling reported by both sides.

Equipment for testing was limited, there was very little protective gear and there was a severe shortage of medical workers, particularly in rural areas, Hoff said.

A blockade of oil ports by forces aligned with the LNA in eastern Libya has cut off most revenue to the Central Bank of Libya in Tripoli, which funds state institutions and the salaries of public workers across the country.

A doctor in a medical centre in Tripoli said she had not been paid since last year. | Reuters