Fighting in Tripoli on Monday morning prevented delegates of the Swiss-run International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from moving around and distributing aid.
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An ICRC spokesman in the Libyan capital said that although the staff had managed to get to their office, they were staying inside for security reasons.
“We hope to be able to distribute medical aid later in the day to meet the most urgent needs,” he told the Swiss News Agency. The interview was interrupted by machine-gun fire.
He said the organisation was unable to estimate how many people had been killed, but added that it had “credible information” that there had been casualties.
“The situation is delicate. The streets around the office are empty. People are staying at home; it’s Ramadan and they don’t go out.”
An ICRC spokesman in Geneva called on both sides to respect medical personnel and civilians.
The ICRC currently has ten expatriates in Tripoli.
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The Swiss-run International Committee of the Red Cross is a neutral and independent organization whose mission is to protect victims of war and internal violence and to provide them with assistance. It also directs and coordinates international relief activities in situations of conflict.
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