The European Union Delegation to Libya announced on Tuesday the allocation of 100,000 euros (112,947 U.S. dollars) in emergency assistance for displaced Libyans fleeing armed conflict.
“An intensification of conflict in Libya and shifting frontlines have resulted in a new spike of displacement,” the EU delegation noted in a statement.
The EU funding will support the Libyan Red Crescent Society in delivering “emergency assistance to 2,500 of the most vulnerable people temporarily housed in schools in the eastern cities of Ejdabia, Tobruk, Shahat, Bayda, Bani Walid and Benghazi,” the statement said.
The funding is part of the EU’s contribution to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the statement explained.
Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) said on Tuesday that a forced shutdown in production since January was expected to result in output dropping to 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2022 from about 1.2 million bpd achieved at the start of 2020.
The shutdown, which NOC said had led to $6.5 billion in lost production, is the result of a blockade imposed in January by eastern-based forces during a civil war that erupted amid the chaos after Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in 2011.
NOC said in a statement on its website that production would be cut in half by 2022 “in the absence of an immediate restart of oil production and because of the state’s failure to provide the requested budget”.
The Tripoli-based Central Bank of Libya said on Tuesday the blockade had caused $7 billion of losses so far, with oil revenues in the first half of 2020 at 2.17 billion dinars ($1.56 billion), about 85% lower than same period of last year.
The bank said it had allocated 1.2 billion dinars to NOC as “an exceptional budget” item, as well as $1.55 billion to cover fuel subsidies and expenses.
NOC said some field damage was permanent, with expected water encroachment at the Sara oilfield and a decrease in well productivity that meant some wells would have to be shutdown.
The company said it would have to conduct work on 160 to 260 wells, at a cost of $50 million to $100 million, in addition to costs related to maintenance and repairs on the pipeline network and other equipment.
The Tripoli based Central Bank of Libya (CBL) announced in its latest statistical bulletin on Thursday that Libya’s revenues during the first 6 months of 2020 reached LD 3 bn dinars, while the expenditures for the same period amounted to LD 15.6 bn dinars. It also reported that it had received oil revenues for this period of LD 2,1 bn.
Telecoms revenues inexplicably brought in zero revenues from a projected LD 121 m while CBL profits were as projected at LD 100 m, adding that local fuel sales brought in LD 100 m. However, other revenues brought in LD 191 m.
With regards to other outgoings, state-sector salaries were as usual by far the largest single item of the total budget outgoings at LD 9,1 billion. LD 2,8 billion was spent on subsidies, while the emergency budget took up more than LD 1,7 billion.
The highest rate of infections with Coronavirus in the southern region was recorded last Saturday, with 42 positive cases out of a total of 180 samples examined, said Dr. Abdul Hamid Al-Fakhri, director of the Sebha branch of the National Center for Disease Control. He indicated that this ratio means that the rate of infections in the southern region is 100 cases per day for every 500 samples.
The NCDC in Sebha has examined 2421 samples as of Saturday, al-Fakhri added in press statements, explaining that the total number of cases in the southern region has reached 503.
He revealed that there are cases that refused to stay in the designated isolation rooms, and that there are families in contact with confirmed cases who refused to take the tests to confirm their status, which increases the spread of the virus in the region.
The NCDC official stressed that there is no implementation of the curfew by the competent security authorities, calling on citizens to adhere to the necessary preventive measures and apply the curfew due to the worsening epidemiological situation in the city.
The National Center for Disease Control has announced that 19 medical staff at the Sebha Medical Center were infected with the novel Coronavirus.
This came according to a statement broadcast by the center’s “Health FM” radio station.
The director of the NCDC branch in Sebha, Abdul Hamid al-Fakhiri, said that the epidemic had reached the medical personnel in Sebha, stressing that the matter had become a more dangerous turning point.
National Oil Corporation (NOC) called on all Libyan parties to support the corporation and allow a tanker on standby at Es Sider oil port to start loading crude oil from storage.
NOC also demanded that foreign mercenaries and armed groups leave Es Sider port immediately.
As part of the ongoing Berlin Process, the Economic Working Group on Libya met yesterday, and reiterated its full support for the NOC in lifting force majeure on oil exports nationwide.
“There is an urgent need to restart the production as soon as possible to stop the damage to Libyan oil infrastructure and to protect the NOC’s vital assets from further deterioration and collapse.” the NOC stated.
NOC (59.18%), Total (16.33%), ConocoPhillips (16.33%) and Hess (8.16%) jointly own the Waha concession, which is responsible for management of the port.
As part of the ongoing Berlin process, experts of the Economic Working Group of the International Follow-up Committee on Libya met virtually on July 6, in the presence of Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya Stephanie Williams and National Oil Corporation (NOC) Chairman Mustafa Sanalla, to reiterate full support for the NOC as it lifts force majeure nationwide and resumes its vital work on behalf of all Libyans.
The working group was co-hosted by the UN Support Mission for Libya (UNSMIL), the Embassy of the United States, and delegations of Egypt and the European Union, and attended by representatives of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, as well as the African Union and the League of Arab States.
The working group welcomed Chairman Sanalla’s presentation on technical steps to restore NOC operations, prevent further degradation of critical infrastructure, ensure the safety of NOC personnel and facilities, and ensure that revenues are not misappropriated, in cooperation with UNSMIL.
Participants welcomed this positive vision and encouraged all Libyan parties to facilitate NOC operations. Allowing the NOC to resume its vital work, on the basis of transparency and a firm commitment to ensure no illicit use of revenues, will create the conditions for a common understanding among Libyans on an equitable distribution of oil and gas revenues.
In this spirit, the working group called on UNSMIL to intensify its work through the Berlin economic track to support such a Libyan consensus and promote financial transparency.
During “Flusna”, a television programme broadcasted on WTV channel and Tabadul Platform, Abdurahman Milad, also known as al-Bidja, has denied the charges against him.
For instance, Milad denied the UN security report published in June 2017 that described al-Bija as a bloodthirsty human trafficker responsible for the shootings at sea and suspected of drowning dozens of people.
The report also identified Mohamed Kashlaf, also known as al-Qasseb, along with “the human smuggler” Ahmed Dabbashi, also known as Al-Ammu.
“Abd al Rahman al-Milad heads the regional unit of the Coast Guard in Zawiya that is consistently linked with violence against migrants and other human smugglers. The UN Panel of Experts claims that Milad, and other coastguard members, are directly involved in the sinking of migrant boats using firearms. Al-Milad collaborates with other migrant smugglers such as Mohammed Kachlaf (also proposed for listing) who, sources suggest, is providing protection to him to carry out illicit operations related to the trafficking and smuggling of migrants. Several witnesses in criminal investigations have stated they were picked up at sea by armed men on a Coast Guard ship called Tallil (used by al-Milad) and taken to the al-Nasr detention centre, where they are reportedly held in brutal conditions and subjected to beatings.”
“In 2015 and 2016, malicious reports were filed by enemies of Al-Zawia and people who were against my activities at sea,” he said, adding that he respects the Security Council and calling at the same time to prove these accusations before listing them them in the UN reports.
Abdulrahman explained that every ship caught by the Coast Guard has a story, stressing that he arrested many ships, and despite the offers of bribes, he confirmed that he did not take any penny during his entire career.
As part of the efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus in libya, the Ministry of Health has sent medical supplies to the city of Sebha including ten mobile isolation rooms fully equipped, 100 oxygen cylinders, a CT-Scan 32 slice, and a FLouroscopy digital ray device.
According to the ministry, this is the second shipment to be dispatched during this month to cities of the southern region.
Moreover, the Ministry of Health said that a Turkish air ambulance aircraft carrying medical supplies needed to tackle the coronavirus pandemic arrived at Mitiga International Airport on Saturday evening.
According to the media office of the Ministry, the plane departed from Istanbul and was basically carrying examination kits.
The head of the office of the undersecretary of health, Mahmoud bin Mahmoud noted that the shipment will be delivered to the Center of Biotechnology Research in Tripoli, for use in conducting daily laboratory tests, for Covid-19 suspected cases.
The National Oil Corporation, the state energy firm, said that the supply shutdown has cost Libya $6,547,901,325 billion in lost revenue this year.
However, the NOC has instructed oil companies to prepare for a resumption of operations “in light of the ongoing negotiations” between it, the U.S. and regional powers to lift the blockade. A tanker is approaching the eastern Es Sider port to load crude, according to the NOC.
