In late March 2019, WHO delivered vital medical supplies, funded by ECHO, to hospitals in the south of Libya

25 March 2019 – The World Health Organization (WHO) delivered emergency medical supplies and trauma kits to 10 major hospitals in various districts of Libya on 23 March 2019 to provide emergency departments with much needed supplies to treat disease and injury. The shipments were supported by European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO). 

General hospitals in Tobruk, Derna, Benghazi, Sirt, Jabal Al Akhdar, Al Baida, Sabha, Murzuq, Ghat and Ubari received a total of 130 interagency health emergency kits (IHEK) and 40 trauma kits as a first consignment. The emergency supplies will treat up to 1 300 000 patients for a period of 3 months, while the trauma kits will enhance the readiness of the same hospitals to treat up to 2000 injuries. 

"ECHO funding has enabled us to upgrade the capacities of major hospitals in war-torn areas to respond to major crises and strengthen their readiness," says Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain, WHO Representative in Libya. "The 10 hospitals are the ones that are still standing, the ones that are treating large numbers of both Libyans and migrants who have either been injured in the conflict or suffering from illness."

In addition, support from the Government of Germany has enabled WHO to deploy rapid response teams to 15 hospitals, while the Government of Italy has funded stocks of contingency supplies.

WHO activated 2 satellite logistics hubs in Sabha and Benghazi and pre-positioned 40 IHEK kits and 5 cholera kits for future use. The 2 hubs will be supplied with supplementary stocks.

"Thanks to the generosity of the Government of Italy, the contingency stocks will make it faster to respond to all needs more rapidly. The establishment of the 2 logistics hubs in the east and south of Libya is part of the strategic vision of WHO to expand our health emergency response," says Dr Hussain. "In addition, we are grateful to the Government of Germany for supporting our hospital-based rapid response teams to minimize the risk of disease outbreaks."

Related link

European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations: Libya