Libya Warns of Surge in COVID-19 Infections

Doctors in Kabaw treat an infant infected with the coronavirus. (Kabaw municipal council)
Doctors in Kabaw treat an infant infected with the coronavirus. (Kabaw municipal council)
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Libya Warns of Surge in COVID-19 Infections

Doctors in Kabaw treat an infant infected with the coronavirus. (Kabaw municipal council)
Doctors in Kabaw treat an infant infected with the coronavirus. (Kabaw municipal council)

Libyan authorities have warned on Saturday of a surge in COVID-19 infections as new cases were confirmed among children and infants.

In the meantime, citizens are still awaiting the arrival of vaccines that have not been delivered on time according to the pledges of the outgoing Government of National Accord (GNA).

The Medical Advisory Committee to Combat the Coronavirus in al-Wahat, southwestern Libya, urged citizens to adhere to the preventative measures in order to stem the spread of the pandemic amid a wave of panic among them over the quick transmission of the virus and the increased number of deaths.

The committee attributed this increase to the people’s non-compliance with precautions. It warned that the surge would continue if they failed to respect health regulations.

Meanwhile, the northwestern Kabaw municipality launched a campaign on Friday to test infants and children between the ages of one month and 18 years in an effort to curb the outbreak in the area after it recorded a number of infections in this age category.

Local authorities warned that the second wave of the pandemic was more severe than the first and that people of all ages have not been spared from it.

The GNA had struck agreements for the delivery of 12 million vaccine shots that should have arrived in the country in late March, but the shipments have been delayed.

Head of the new Government of National Unity (GNU), Abdulhamid Dbeibeh pledged to quickly provide the jabs “no matter the cost,” stressing that his government has set this issue as a priority.



Rights Groups Express Renewed Concerns About Humanitarian Situation in Gaza

A Palestinian child looks on while being examined by a doctor at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, amid fears over the spread of polio after the first case was reported by the Ministry of health, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, August 18, 2024. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
A Palestinian child looks on while being examined by a doctor at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, amid fears over the spread of polio after the first case was reported by the Ministry of health, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, August 18, 2024. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
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Rights Groups Express Renewed Concerns About Humanitarian Situation in Gaza

A Palestinian child looks on while being examined by a doctor at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, amid fears over the spread of polio after the first case was reported by the Ministry of health, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, August 18, 2024. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
A Palestinian child looks on while being examined by a doctor at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, amid fears over the spread of polio after the first case was reported by the Ministry of health, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, August 18, 2024. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed

Rights groups on Thursday expressed renewed concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza after Israel’s latest evacuation orders in parts of the overcrowded central city of Deir al-Balah.
The polio virus has been circulating in the battered Palestinian enclave for the first time in 25 years, relief organization the International Rescue Committee said in a statement. It said the spread resulted from the destruction of hospitals and water infrastructure, along with overcrowded living conditions, reported The Associated Press.
“The news of polio in Gaza should be an alarm bell that more infectious diseases are on the way,” Dr. Jude Senkugu, the group's emergency health coordinator in the territory, said in the statement. “Without clean water, it is nearly impossible to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, as people do not have enough to drink, leaving them with no other choice but to drink contaminated water.”
Meanwhile, international medical organization Doctors Without Borders warned that shrinking living spaces would cause diseases to spread faster.
The majority of Gaza’s population of about 2 million have been displaced in the ongoing Hamas-Israel war since Oct. 7, often more than once. Israel has scaled up its evacuation orders over the past month.
“There is no room to put tents up. The overcrowding, severe lack of water, and minimal sanitation services are fueling the spread of diseases,” Doctors Without Borders' project coordinator Jacob Granger said in a statement. “We are unable to keep up with the overwhelming needs.”
Both organizations have echoed calls from global aid agencies for an immediate cease-fire.