Murzuq, 21 December 2017 - Murzuq municipality, in the south of Libya, has received two intensive care ambulances from UNDP through a EU-funded project which aims to improve access to essential services, create jobs and entrepreneur opportunities, and increase security and rule of law in the country.

Murzuq General Hospital, which currently provides health services to 65,000 people living in the city, will be using these ambulances to transport patients from Murzuq and the neighbouring villages of Jezaw, Dalim, Haj Hajije and Gowat. The medical centre did not have any ambulance since August 2011, when the old one stopped working. At the beginning of 2014, only an average of 25 patients per day needed ambulance transportation, but after October the same year, this number increased to 40 patients per day (over 14,600 people per year) since migrant people cross Murzuq on their way to Tripoli and accidents are recurrent. 

During the handover ceremony that took place on Sunday in Tripoli, the Mayor of Murzuq, Mr. Ibrahim Shawish stated:

“We are tremendously grateful for this contribution of the European Union to our municipality. Thanks to the ambulances that UNDP transferred today, the city council that I preside will be able to improve our services delivery.”

Mr. Mohamed Omar Kokani, Member of Murzuq Municipal Council, will receive the ambulances in Murzuq.

“Thanks to EU contribution and UNDP, now we will be able to help more people not only from Murzuq and nearby neighbourhoods, but also migrant and internal displaced people who are growing in number and need our assistance,” he declared.

Murzuq is hosting more than 5,000 internal displaced persons (IDPs) from AlKufrah, Ubari and Sebha. The absence of medical transport services has been affecting already vulnerable people in southern Libya, but also in the east of the country.  AlKufrah, at 1060km from Benghazi, is facing similar challenges as Murzuq in the south, due to the lack of ambulances. The project is also planning to transfer two ambulances to Alkufrah Atia Kaseh General hospital.