The United Nations (UN) envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame condemned on Sunday the repeated indiscriminate shelling targeting Mitiga airport.
In a statement published by UNSMIL, Salame explained that Mitiga airport is the only “indispensable functioning airport available for use by millions of civilians and for the delivery of humanitarian assistance in the greater Tripoli area”.
“These attacks have continued unabated since the start of the LNA offensive against Tripoli on 4 April despite United Nations’ calls for the protection of all civilian infrastructure and for precautions to protect the civilian population.
Ahead of the upcoming season of pilgrimage, attacking Mitiga airport jeopardises the ability of pilgrims from Western Libya to perform the Hajj pilgrimage. On 3 August, more than 250 pilgrims were affected by the strikes against the airport and forced to seek alternative arrangements, after projectiles hit the immediate vicinity of the taxiway used by commercial airliners.” The statement added
Salame noted that the repeated strikes against Mitiga airport are one element of the increasing violence affecting the civilian population.
He expresses his continued concern over the broader impact on those directly affected by the fighting, “including the thousands of civilians trapped in frontline areas and the hundreds of thousands of displaced.”
Salame reiterated his call for a truce to start on the upcoming Eid al Adha Islamic Holiday.
