UNHCR’s quick impact projects reach hospitals and schools to support internally displaced and their hosting communities

1 Mar 2018

UNHCR’s quick impact projects reach hospitals and schools to support internally displaced and their hosting communities

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, distributed last week 8 water tanks to 7 different healthcare facilities located in the cities of Sabratha and Az-Zawiyah (60Km and 40 Km west of Tripoli respectively), in order to support medical facilities in providing their services to local communities and internally displaced persons approaching these centres. The 7 facilities included 2 main hospitals, 1 oncology hospital, 2 polyclinics and 2 clinics. 

In Sabratha, both the main hospital and the oncology hospital received 1 water tank of 10.000 litres capacity each, for the desalination Unit. In addition, the public polyclinic and the public clinic received one 5000 litres capacity water tank for each facility, to provide drinking water to the patients and for different uses inside the centres. 

In Az-Zawiyah, the main hospital received two 10.000 litres water tanks to function at the kidney unit and the gynecology ward, while 2 other 5000 litres water tanks went to the Az-Zawyah Polyclinic and the main public dental clinic. 

These efforts are part of UNHCR’s quick impact projects to support displaced persons and the communities hosting them, and still, over 200 quick-impact projects will be implemented across the country this year, aiming at providing crucial assistance and services in areas with a major concentration of internally displaced people. 

In this regard, with its partner Mercy Corps, UNHCR supported the Alfatah school (east of Tripoli) providing new desks for students who until then were sharing one old desk per three students. Almost 700 students benefitted from this intervention. In addition, medical equipment contributions were provided to the Mshashya health centre, which had been completely destroyed and was in urgent need of refurbishment. Through its partner ACTED, UNHCR refurbished the Scout Park in the downtown district of Benghazi, providing a much needed recreational space for displaced and returnee children.

Currently, in Libya, more than 180,000 internally displaced people are in need of assistance as well as 335,000 people who have recently returned to their homes. UNHCR will continue to provide support to internally displaced persons, returnees and their hosting communities.