Gruesome conflict in Libya takes 100 lives; future of more than 500,000 children hangs in balance

Tripoli: The gruesome conflict in the Libyan capital, Tripoli has so far taken more than 100 lives and 400 have been reported injured. This conflict between the supporters of the United Nations-approved government and the rebel groups has intensified over the last few days. The UNICEF, a United Nations organisation, has claimed that the future of 500,000 children in Tripoli hangs in balance because of this conflict.

There is dreadful conflict in the Libyan capital Tripoli and nearby cities, since the last month. Although the United Nations approved government is in control in capital Tripoli, the rebel influence is consistently rising in the other parts of the country. This has led to a conflict between the Libyan military, the rebel groups supporting the government and the rebel organisations opposing the government. The rebel groups in the other parts have started efforts to acquire capital Tripoli saying that they do not accept the government installed in the country by the international community.

The International Airport, the headquarters of the National Oil Corporation and the prisons in Tripoli also have been the targets of these attacks. In the last month, during one of these attacks, hundreds of supporters of the ousted Dictator Muammar Gaddafi escaped from one of the prisons. Emergency was clamped on Tripoli after this incident. Despite the emergency, the conflict seems to have intensified in Tripoli and the nearby regions.

The attacks by ‘The Seventh Brigade’ from Tarhuna town are responsible for the conflict started since the last month. This rebel organisation is carrying out mortar and rocket attacks in the southern parts of Tripoli and the civilian settlements have suffered major damages in the attacks. More than 25,000 civilians from the capital of Tripoli have been forced to relocate, because of the ongoing conflict. At the same time, the UN organisation for children, UNICEF, has claimed that the future of more than 500,000 children is under threat.

In 2011, the western powers had ousted the then Dictator in Libya, Muammar Gaddafi, during the Arab Spring agitation. All the subsequent efforts of the international community to establish peace and stability in Libya have failed completely. Thousands of citizens have been killed and more than 200,000 citizens have been forced to relocate, owing to this failure.