The United Nations acting Libya envoy, Stephanie Williams, said on Wednesday that foreign supporters of both sides in the civil war were helping them stockpile weapons in breach of an arms embargo and as coronavirus “spirals out of control” in the country.

Libya’s conflict and a blockade on oil exports by eastern forces have worsened living conditions amid a rapid surge in the coronavirus in some parts of the country, with the number of confirmed cases doubling over the past two weeks to 15,156.

“Exponential increases are a worrying trend with community transmission now reported in some of Libya’s main cities,” Williams said, adding that the true scale of the pandemic in Libya was likely far higher than recorded numbers showed.

“Nearing full collapse after more than nine years of conflict, the health care system is unable to respond,” she said.