On Tuesday, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) condemned the cutting off of water supplies from the eastern branch of the Great Man-Made River (GMMR).
In a statement the mission said that armed actors forced the closure of the eastern branch of the GMMR, “the closure threatens the water security for millions of people in Libya and risks provoking a humanitarian crisis.”
UNSMIL added that any obstruction of vital infrastructure, such as the GMMR, is a violation of international human rights and humanitarian law, and is “particularly reprehensible when committed to extort political concessions.”
The statement pointed out that such acts are similar to a form of collective punishment, which can never be justified and all perpetrators should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
The UN mission reiterated that access to water and water supply should never be politicised, “the Mission urges all actors to work in the national interest of Libya and all the people in Libya to ensure the water supply is resumed immediately, and that water infrastructure is both respected and protected,” the statement read.
On Sunday, Libyan authorities shut water supplies to swathes of the country after gunmen demanding the release of a jailed Gaddafi-era official threatened to sabotage the water network.
Supplies to western and southwestern Libya were interrupted overnight Saturday to Sunday, the GMMR water authority said.
It took the decision to cut the supply after gunmen Thursday stormed several water distribution centers, demanding the release of Abdullah Al-Senussi.
Several pages on social media outlets circulated statements attributed to Al-Senussi’s daughter, confirming that her father is suffering from cancer. She accused the authorities who are detaining him of preventing him from access to medical care.