A fighter from forces of the UN-backed Libyan government fires at Libyan National Army (LNA) troops at the Al-Yarmook frontline in Tripoli, Libya, on May 9, 2019. With intensified ground fighting and a significant increase in airstrikes on southern Tripoli, the United Nations is "extremely concerned" about heavy casualties, a UN spokesman said on Thursday. The conflict broke out over a month ago when forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army attacked Tripoli. (Xinhua/Amru Salahuddien)
UNITED NATIONS, May 9 (Xinhua) -- With intensified ground fighting and a significant increase in airstrikes on southern Tripoli, the United Nations is "extremely concerned" about heavy casualties, a UN spokesman said on Thursday.
"Our colleagues on the ground say fighting in southern Tripoli has intensified with a significant increase in airstrikes," said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "We continue to be extremely concerned about the heavy toll on civilians and health workers."
The World Health Organization (WHO) said that, since the Libyan conflict escalated in early April, 11 additional ambulances have been impacted or suffered collateral damage. More than 400 people were killed and at least 2,000 wounded.
The humanitarian coordinator for Libya, Maria Ribeiro, and the WHO strongly condemned an attack on an armored ambulance in Tripoli on Wednesday that left three health workers injured, including the director of the Ambulance and Emergency Medical Services.
The "direct attack of a marked ambulance ... is absolutely abhorrent and should not be tolerated," said Ribeiro. "Those who ordered and carried out this attack must take legal and moral responsibility for this heinous act", she said.
The WHO described the attack on a logo-marked ambulance as a "shocking and intolerable violation of international humanitarian law."
Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain, WHO Representative in Libya, said that "not only did this attack injure key personnel, but the ambulance itself was taken away, thereby depriving patients of future care."
While the identity of the perpetrator was not specified, Ribeiro said it was carried out "reportedly by Libyan National Army (LNA)-affiliated fighters."
The conflict broke out over a month ago when forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army attacked Tripoli, seat of the internationally-recognized Government of National Accord.
The UN secretary-general's special representative in Libya, Ghassan Salame, is expected to continue his outreach to international partners in the next few days when he visits several European capitals to discuss ways to immediately stop the fighting and resume a political dialogue, said Haq, the spokesman.
