The Minister of Health of the Libyan Parliament-designated government, Othman Abdul-Jalil has formed a committee to follow up on the health crisis in southern Libya.
According to Resolution No. 125 of 2023, the committee includes 13 members and will be based in Kufra, in the south.
The committee will “evaluate the health situation in the southeast, and identify the needs that ensure raising the level of health services.”
It will also deal with “any emergency developments in the region due to the Sudanese crisis, and it will coordinate with the Emergency Room in the Kufra Municipality to serve the health situation in the region.”
The committee will submit a monthly report on the performance of its work to the Minister, or his authorized representative for review and approval.
Libya has been in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The county has for years been split between rival administrations, each backed by rogue militias and foreign governments.
The current stalemate grew out of the failure to hold elections in December 2021, and the refusal of Prime Minister Dbaiba, who is leading the transitional government, to step down. In response, the country’s eastern-based Parliament appointed Bashagha, who has sought to install his government in Tripoli for months.
In March, the rival Health Minister of the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU), Ramadan Abu Jinnah said that “protecting the health of refugees and migrants is a burden on the state.”
During a speech delivered at the second High-Level Regional meeting of the World Health Organization (WHO), Abu Jinnah said that “immigrants enjoy health services and necessary medical care, just like Libyan citizens. This burdens the state and places a great responsibility, as a result of the lack of resources and medical supplies.”
Abu Jinnah called on member states, as well as international organizations, to “redouble their efforts and cooperate on resolving the crisis.” He also called for “establishing effective partnerships to resolve the crises facing Libya as a transit country for migrants.”
The Minister also stressed the need to “provide healthcare to refugees and immigrants in an equitable manner, including providing support in mental health, psychosocial support, and disability care.”
Libya had become the preferred route for tens of thousands of migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia seeking to reach Europe, after the fall of Muammer Gaddafi’s regime in 2011.
Notably, dozens of healthcare personnel organized a demonstration in front of the Cabinet Office in Tripoli last month, to protest the deteriorating health conditions in the country.
The protesters complained about Abu Jinnah’s role and demanded “a full-time minister with high experience and competence in charge of the affairs of the ministry.”