Press release: Penny Mordaunt statement on fighting in Libya

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said:

With many hospitals in Libya severely under-resourced and near breaking point, UK aid will provide vital medical supplies to help them cope with the increase in casualties. Today’s support will also help families to access critical primary health services and provide emergency surgical care for trauma victims.

I have been horrified at the repeated, indiscriminate attacks on residential neighbourhoods in Tripoli which have left several civilians dead, including children and healthcare workers. The UK remains deeply concerned about the potential impact on civilians if the fighting moves further into densely-populated urban areas.

All parties to the conflict must do all that they can to prevent any further loss of life, including by respecting their obligations under International Humanitarian Law and engaging with the UN and humanitarian community to get aid to those in need and for the wounded and those at risk to be safely evacuated.

Notes to editors

• The UK’s Department for International Development will provide £1 million to the UN Flash Appeal for Libya, launched in response to the fighting in Tripoli, which has been ongoing since 4 April. The World Health Organisation (WHO) will deliver lifesaving medical care, including surgery in frontline referral hospitals, and supplies for 150,000 patients.
• We will also provide an expert to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to help negotiate improved access for agencies to deliver aid on-the-ground.
• On 17 April 2019 the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, released US$2 million from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to provide life-saving assistance to civilians caught up in the escalating fighting in Libya, including vulnerable refugees and migrants. The UK was the biggest donor to the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) in 2018, providing £ 114.3 million.
• The UK is also providing an £5m over three years to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) for humanitarian protection and assistance for migrants and refugees in Libya, as part of our £75m Safety, Support and Solutions – Phase II programme.