Libyan conflict prevents 279,000 children from getting education: UN

The UN Support Mission in Libya has issued a report stating that 279,000 children are prevented from education due to the conflict in the country.

"Recently released data from Libya's Ministry of Education paints an alarming picture of education access, with a total of 558 schools across various regions of Libya classed as nonfunctional, affecting around 279,000 school-age children," the report said.

Some schools are nonfunctional due to partial or complete damage as a result of conflict and fighting. In cities such as Bani Walid and Benghazi, a number of schools have become shelters for the displaced, preventing children from accessing them, it said.

Libya has been witnessing escalating violence and continuous armed conflict since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011.

The UN report also said 35,000 people fled their homes in Sirte since the beginning of the fight between the government's forces and IS, bringing the total number of internally displaced people originating from the coastal city to 90,449, representing more than three quarters of its total population.

The report warned that Sirte's water and sanitation conditions in an informal accommodation are deteriorating rapidly and hospitals face shortages of beds and medical supplies to aid growing numbers of patients. Endit