The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed concern about the deteriorating water, sanitation, and hygiene situation in Libya, saying that more than four million people, including 1.5 million children, will face imminent water problems if the issue remains unaddressed.
The head of UNICEF’s Communications Office in Libya, Suad Al-Marrani, said that they based their report on the Man-made River statuses and Water Desalination project, as the frequent attacks on these facilities destroyed 190 wells.
Despite the improvement of the situation, the problem remains the same, as four million people are likely to face a water shortage if the Man-Made River project is attacked or affected again, Marrani told the Al-Jazeera website.
She explained that UNICEF’s new country program in Libya 2023-2025 aims to increase the capacity of water and sanitation systems for water and hygiene services.
Long-term solutions, such as water desalination and solar energy, will be a priority in the organization’s plan for Libya, UNICEF’s official concluded.