Libya Announces Mandatory COVID-19 Jabs for University Students

A side of the headquarters established for vaccination at Ra's Ajdir (National Center for Disease Control).
A side of the headquarters established for vaccination at Ra's Ajdir (National Center for Disease Control).
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Libya Announces Mandatory COVID-19 Jabs for University Students

A side of the headquarters established for vaccination at Ra's Ajdir (National Center for Disease Control).
A side of the headquarters established for vaccination at Ra's Ajdir (National Center for Disease Control).

The Libyan authorities announced that it is mandatory for all university students to receive the coronavirus vaccine before the commencement of the new scholar year next week.

This decision concurs with growing concerns of the hike in virus cases during the winter season.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Libya has so far hit 344,000, including 266,000 recoveries and 4,720 deaths, the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) revealed.

The data provided by the center showed a decline in coronavirus cases.

During his meeting with heads of universities and education authorities on Tuesday, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Libya's Government of National Unity, Omran Al-Qeeb stressed the vaccine will be “mandatory” to all students.

Those who don’t hold a vaccination certificate will have no access to any university or a higher education institution.

A medical source from the center told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that there are mounting concerns of a hike in the cases during the winter season.

However, he noted that the weekly report, number thirty nine, on the state of the epidemic revealed a progress compared to the past week.

The source attributed the progress to an increasing number of citizens who received their 1st and 2nd dose of the vaccine.

In the same context, the Ministry of Health held its second virtual meeting on Wednesday with its Egyptian counterpart.

NCDC and the Libyan Center for Biotechnology Research, in the presence of the Health Minister Ali Al-Zanati, signed on Wednesday, at the Ministry of Health in Tripoli, a joint cooperation agreement.

The agreement included exchanging scientific expertise, organizing seminars, scientific conferences and workshops, working on developing scientific and technical cadres in all fields, and conducting researches and studies, in addition to the formation of joint committees to combat the coronavirus pandemic.



Sudan's Military Accepts UN Proposal of a Weeklong Ceasefire in El Fasher for Aid Distribution

The wreckage of cars lie on the remains of the Shambat Bridge, which connects Omdurman and Bahri, on June 24, 2025 in the Sudanese capital region. (AFP)
The wreckage of cars lie on the remains of the Shambat Bridge, which connects Omdurman and Bahri, on June 24, 2025 in the Sudanese capital region. (AFP)
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Sudan's Military Accepts UN Proposal of a Weeklong Ceasefire in El Fasher for Aid Distribution

The wreckage of cars lie on the remains of the Shambat Bridge, which connects Omdurman and Bahri, on June 24, 2025 in the Sudanese capital region. (AFP)
The wreckage of cars lie on the remains of the Shambat Bridge, which connects Omdurman and Bahri, on June 24, 2025 in the Sudanese capital region. (AFP)

Sudan's military agreed to a proposal from the United Nations for a weeklong ceasefire in El Fasher to facilitate UN aid efforts to the area, the army said Friday.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called Sudanese military leader Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan and asked him for the humanitarian truce in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur province, to allow aid delivery.

Burhan agreed to the proposal and stressed the importance of implementing relevant UN Security Council resolutions, but it’s unknown whether the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces would agree and comply with the ceasefire.

“We are making contacts with both sides with that objective, and that was the fundamental reason for that phone contact. We have a dramatic situation in El Fasher,” Guterres told reporters on Friday.

No further details were revealed about the specifics of the ceasefire, including when it could go into effect.

Sudan plunged into war in April 2023 when simmering tensions between the Sudanese army and the rival RSF escalated into battles in the capital, Khartoum, and spread across the country, killing more than 20,000 people.

The war has also driven more than 14 million people from their homes and pushed parts of the country into famine. UNICEF said earlier this year that an estimated 61,800 children have been internally displaced since the war began.

Guterres said on Friday that a humanitarian truce is needed for effective aid distribution, and it must be agreed upon several days in advance to prepare for a large-scale delivery in the El Fasher area, which has seen repeated waves of violence recently.

El Fasher, more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) southwest of Khartoum, is under the control of the military. The RSF has been trying to capture El Fasher for a year to solidify its control over the entire Darfur region. The paramilitary’s attempts included launching repeated attacks on the city and two major famine-stricken displacement camps on its outskirts.