Heavy fights in Libya & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (17 April 2019)

Noon Briefing by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Daily Press Briefing:
- Libya
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Sudan
- Horn of Africa
- Afghanistan
- Iran
- E-Waste
- Digital Health Technology

LIBYA
Throughout the night, Tripoli witnessed the heaviest fighting since the outbreak of clashes, with indiscriminate rocket fire on a high-density neighbourhood in the Libyan capital. At least five civilians have been reportedly killed and several others injured.
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Libya, Ghassan Salamé, condemned in the strongest terms the overnight shelling, recalling that responsibility for actions that may constitute war crimes lies not only with the individuals who committed the indiscriminate attacks, but also potentially those who ordered them. In a statement to the media yesterday, Mr. Salamé renewed his call for international unity to spare Libya from the devastating consequences of a civil war.
In the past 24 hours we’ve also seen the highest single-day increase in displacement, with more than 4,500 people displaced, and that’s according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). This brings the total number of people forced out of their homes to 25,000. 
Wherever access allows, humanitarian partners continue to respond to the rapidly increasing needs through the provision of humanitarian support.
However, according to our humanitarian colleagues, yesterday’s request for a temporary ceasefire to allow for the safe and voluntary exit of civilians from the conflict areas did not materialize. Civilians trapped in conflict areas are reportedly running low on basic food items as well as fuel, and experiencing prolonged electricity and water cuts.
The humanitarian community continues to call on all parties to meet their obligations under international humanitarian law and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Yesterday, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and its partners relocated another 150 vulnerable refugees who were detained in the Abu Selim detention centre – close to the ongoing clashes – to UNHCR’s Gathering and Departure Facility in the centre of Tripoli. Efforts are underway to bring more vulnerable individuals to safety.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
We have seen the reports of a ferry accident on Lake Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 
The Secretary-General will be writing to President Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to express his condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the people and government of the country. 
The United Nations stands in solidarity with the Government as it responds to this incident, and is ready to help with the response, as requested.  
SUDAN
The Joint Special Representative for the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur, UNAMID, Jeremiah Mamabolo, briefed the Security Council this morning via VTC on key developments on his mission following the 12 April removal of President Omar al-Bashir.
He said that changes at the federal level have an obvious impact on Darfur, including protests and violent acts; he assured the Council that in the midst of all these developments, the UN-AU Mission has remained vigilant, maintaining a robust posture particularly in the Jebel Marra area of responsibility, where the peacekeeping Mission has troops. 
Also briefing the Council was the Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Ursula Mueller, who noted that well before the latest developments in Sudan, humanitarian needs in Darfur and other parts of the country were already growing due to the economic crisis.
She said that the direct impact on humanitarian operations from the recent political events has so far been limited, and regular operations have continued, but she expressed concern about the protection of civilians, particularly in Darfur.
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