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By Ajnadin Moustafa.
Tripoli, 19 September 2014:
Volunteers from the International Community of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Libya Red Crescent have . . .[restrict]delivered urgently needed medical supplies to war-torn Warshefana on the outskirts of Tripoli Wednesday.
Several weeks of fighting in the area between the Warshefana and Libya Dawn forces has not only resulted in numerous casualties, but has disrupted health care services and left many injured people without access to adequate treatment.
Zahra Hospital, overwhelmed by the influx of patients wounded by the conflict and virtually cut off from the rest of the world, has suffered from a severe shortage of medicine and medical supplies.
According to the ICRC, suture sets, wound and burn-dressing materials, cylinders of oxygen and surgical supplies were delivered to the hospital despite the risk to volunteers, and the organisation hopes to deliver more.
“Health care must be available to everyone who needs it,” said Dr Carmen Carrillo, the ICRC’s health coordinator for Libya. “We delivered enough supplies (Wednesday) to treat up to 130 war-wounded patients, but this is only a temporary solution. We hope to be able to deliver more items as soon as possible.”
The aid organisation has been working with the Red Crescent to support Libyan hospitals since the beginning of the current violence. According to the ICRC website, it has already delivered medical supplies to health facilities in Zawia, Aradah, Tripoli, Zintan, Benghazi, Ajdabiya, Abyar and Marj.
The ICRC, although having evacuated its foreign staff following the murder of one of its Swiss staff by unidentified gunmen in July, has said that it was committed to continue its work in Libya even without the foreigners. Up to 130 committed national staff have continued operations in partnership with the Red Crescent, including emergency distributions to refugees displaced by the conflicts in Tripoli and in Benghazi. [/restrict]
