HIGHLIGHTS
• The UN and partners coordinate rapid response to IDPs fleeing Sirte as clashes fuel further displacement.
• US$12.2 million needed to continue life-saving food assistance after September.
• Health supplies and medicines reached hospitals in response to acute health crises.
• 1,728 conflict affected children enrolled in non-formal education in Benghazi.
Sirte displacement reaches 90,000: Protection and WASH needs on the rise
The United Nations and its partners continue to monitor the latest movements of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the west of Libya, as a two-month campaign against the so-called Islamic State (IS) drives more families to flee from Sirte.
Since April/May, 35,000 people have left Sirte, bringing the total number of IDPs originating from the coastal city to 90,449, representing more than three quarters of its total population. The majority continue to seek refuge in Bani Walid, Tarhuna, Misratah and Al Jufrah, with smaller numbers reaching 15 other locations throughout western Libya. In Misrata, the local crisis committee reported a spike in recent arrivals, estimating that it is hosting approximately 1,700 families, or 8,775 individuals. Among them, there are some 3,000 children below the age of three.
As the numbers of IDPs swell, host communities are struggling to provide assistance.
According to the UNHCR/Reach Rapid IDP Protection Needs Assessment conducted in May, only one to 25 per cent of Sirte IDPs feel that they are self-sufficient and 41 per cent do not have access to protection services. Water and sanitation conditions in an informal accommodation are deteriorating rapidly and hospitals face shortages of beds and medical supplies to aid growing numbers of patients.