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Humanitarian crisis hits Tripoli

27 Aug 2011 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Hospitals are running short of supplies, and food and fuel are difficult to come by, reporters say.UN chief Ban Ki-moon has appealed for urgent humanitarian assistance and for the international community to help restore order in the country.

Fighting in the capital has died down, though clashes continue in the east.Rebels say they are now in almost complete control of Tripoli, with just a few pockets of resistance from forces loyal to Col Gaddafi.There has been some fighting, mainly in and around the international airport, but the city centre is mostly quiet.

Elsewhere in the country the rebels have met stiff resistance near the oil port of Ras Lanuf as they prepare to attack Sirte, Col Gaddafi's birthplace and the town regarded as his last major stronghold.

Appealing for help, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said millions of people in and around Tripoli are at risk because of the water shortage.

This is a city of two million people with no effective political direction or leadership. The real political leadership and the people who need to take control of the situation are not here and practically what that means is that when it comes to resources like water there is none, and there's hardly any electricity - there was a blackout across Tripoli last night and only those hotels or buildings with generators had any power.

There's also a huge problem of public health - with no water or proper sanitation there's a very difficult issue developing in many parts of the city.

The BBC's Daniel Sandford in Tripoli says the water supply to the capital has slowly dried up. He says some shops are open but they have not been re-supplied.Petrol and diesel are running out and rubbish is piling up on streets uncollected, he adds.

Some hospitals are functioning well but horrific scenes were found at one in Abu Salim district on Friday, which had been abandoned by frightened staff amid heavy fighting.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) found the rotting bodies of 200 patients there. The remains of men, women and children were found lying in corridors, on trolleys and even piled up at the hospital entrance.

The hospital was abandoned by doctors and nurses when the district erupted into violence. The BBC's Wyre Davies at the scene says many put the blame for what happened there on the Gaddafi regime, accusing his forces of taking revenge on anyone suspected of opposing him as he lost control of the capital.

Decomposing corpses are also littering the streets where fighting has taken place, the Associated Press news agency reports.(BBC)

Breaking News

Humanitarian crisis hits Tripoli

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