Armed conflicts in Libya displaced 106,420 Libyans in October alone, driving the total from May to more than 393,400, the United Nations said Friday.
UNHCR voiced concern about ‘the welfare of some 14,000 of the 37,000 registered refugees and asylum-seekers in Libya, almost half of whom are from Syria, who are stranded in conflict zones or unable to provide food for themselves and their families. Many of those people have irregularly departed by boats to Europe and, so far this year, more than 156,000 have arrived in Italy – more than 85 percent departing from Libya,” said spokesperson Adrian Edwards.
“The stepped up conflict is centred on the towns of Benghazi and Derna in the east, in the country's south-east at Ubari and in the west at Kikla,” the organization said.
Edwards revealed that the UNHCR has prepared a paper urging all countries to allow civilians fleeing Libya access to their territories and urges all states to suspend forcible returns to the country until the security and human rights situation has improved considerably.
Libya has slided into internal armed strife between Islamist militias and opposing, renegade army forces since the death of former leader Muammar al-Qadhafi in 2011.
"In all, we estimate that more than 393,420 people have become internally displaced in Libya since violence escalated in May. They are scattered across 35 towns and cities and are in dire need of shelter, health care, food, water and other basic commodities," Edwards said.
