Navigation

ICRC and UN aid groups leave Libya

Smoke rises as rival militias battle for the control of the international airport of Tripoli Keystone

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has withdrawn its last international delegates from Libya as fighting between rival militias around the airport of the capital, Tripoli, continues.

This content was published on July 16, 2014
swissinfo.ch and agencies

A spokesman for the Swiss-led ICRC said the evacuation of about 10 members was necessary because of the deteriorating security situation and the closure of the country’s main airport.

However, about 130 local ICRC workers will stay in Libya and the organisation is co-ordinating its aid efforts from neighbouring Tunisia.

In June the ICRC temporarily suspended its activities in Libya following the killing of a senior Swiss aid official in the northern town of Sirte.

The Libyan government on Tuesday called for international help to impose law and order in the country. Tripoli airport was closed a few days ago following clashes between rival Islamic militias in the area.

The United Nations on Monday also began reducing the number of personnel to about 20 from 150 deployed normally, according to a report by the Geneva-based Le Temps newspaper.

In compliance with the JTI standards

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

Change your password

Do you really want to delete your profile?

Newsletters
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.

Discover our weekly must-reads for free!

Sign up to get our top stories straight into your mailbox.

The SBC Privacy Policy provides additional information on how your data is processed.