The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported a significant increase in administrative and bureaucratic obstacles hindering the access of humanitarian and development organizations in Libya during the first quarter of this year.
In a statement released on Thursday, OCHA noted a rise of at least 76% in obstacles faced by humanitarian partners in Libya in the first three months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2022, indicating worsening operational challenges.
The statement highlighted that the majority of these restrictions were due to administrative and bureaucratic hurdles, accounting for 40% of the obstacles, severely impeding the movement of humanitarian workers within Libya.
The statement further explained that these regions have seen a tightening of restrictions, significantly disrupting the implementation of humanitarian programs. Several partners have been forced to halt operations and close offices due to excessive bureaucratic demands, unclear roles of local counterparts, and repeated refusals or delays in movement permits.
The report also mentioned that access restrictions for people in need of aid constituted a smaller portion (27%) of the recorded obstacles. This was particularly evident in the east and west of Libya, exacerbated by a directive from southern authorities to suspend aid for migrants and refugees, a move that could have serious humanitarian consequences amid a rising influx of arrivals from Sudan.
The areas of protection and mine action were the most concerning, together accounting for more than half of the recorded obstacles, while other humanitarian operations and activities were affected to varying degrees.
OCHA has called on local authorities in Libya to ease access restrictions for humanitarian and agency work and to facilitate the movement of humanitarian and development teams across various regions of the country.
