A senior UNICEF official warned that children in Libya are still suffering greatly during the violence and chaos resulting from the country’s long civil war.
Executive Director Henrietta H. Fore announced that “with the eruption of hostilities in Tripoli and western Libya, the conditions of thousands of children and civilians deteriorated, and random attacks in populated areas killed hundreds of people.”
Holsman Fore explained that she received reports about the maiming or killing of children, as they are recruited to fight in the battles. “At the same time, more than 150,000 people, including 90,000 children, were forced to flee their homes and are now internally displaced. Furthermore, the infrastructure on which children depend for their well-being and survival has been targeted, resulting in damage to nearly 30 health facilities, and the full suspension of 13 of them.”
The UNICEF official called on all parties with influence in the conflict “to protect children, put an end to their recruitment and exploitation, stop attacks against civilian infrastructure, and allow humanitarian aid to arrive safely and without hindrance.”