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WHO: 121 killed, 561 injured in Libyan fighting over 10 days

By Allen Cone
Vehicles and militants, reportedly from Misrata, gather to join Tripoli forces, in Tripoli, Libya, on April 6. Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the Libyan National Army, ordered Libyan forces loyal to him to take the capital Tripoli, held by a U.N.-backed unity government. Photo by EPA
1 of 2 | Vehicles and militants, reportedly from Misrata, gather to join Tripoli forces, in Tripoli, Libya, on April 6. Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the Libyan National Army, ordered Libyan forces loyal to him to take the capital Tripoli, held by a U.N.-backed unity government. Photo by EPA

April 14 (UPI) -- Since a Libyan military commander launched an assault to take over Tripoli, the capital, 10 days ago, 121 people have died and 561 were injured, the World Health Organization said Sunday.

WHO's Libya Twitter account posted an update of casualties and said it was "sending medical supplies, health staff support for first- and second-line responders."

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Eight ambulances have been bombed, including two on Saturday, since the outbreak of violence on April 4 launched by strongman Khalifa Haftar, WHO said.

"The World Health Organization strongly condemns repeated attacks on healthcare workers, vehicles and facilities," WHO tweeted.'

More than 13,500 people had been displaced by the clashes, including 4,000 in the past 24 hours, and more than 900 residents are living in shelters, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Saturday. Also, 3,900 people who requested their evacuation from conflict- affected areas could not be evacuated to safer areas.

"The humanitarian community is concerned about rising numbers of civilian casualties, including medical personnel," OCHA Libya said.

Both sides have been accused of targeting civilians, the Daily Sabah reported. Haftar's forces control portion of eastern Libya and have refused to halt fighting against those loyal to the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord based in Tripoli.

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Since the NATO-backed overthrow of dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, militias have been seeking to take control.

"We need to get rid of militias and terrorist groups," Aguila Saleh, head of the House of Representatives allied to Haftar, said Saturday. He was referring to eastern officials allied to the Tripoli government.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with Haftar in Cairo on Sunday, the presidency said. No details were release.

Sisi has supported Haftar's forces.

OCHA estimates $190 million is required to meet the funding requirement of the 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan.

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