TRIPOLI
Some 154 people have been killed and 463 others injured in violent clashes in three Libyan cities so far this month, a health ministry spokesman said Monday.
"The death toll has reached 154 with 463 others wounded, some seriously," Ammar Mohamed told Anadolu Agency.
Clashes between security forces and loyalists of late strongman Muammar Gaddafi have ravaged Sabha in southern Libya and al-Ujaylat and Rashfana in western Libya.
The spokesman said that some of the injured Libyans have been flown for treatment in foreign countries such as Turkey and Tunisia, warning that hospitals near the flashpoint areas lack medical supplies.
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Libya (UNSMIL) has expressed concern about the effects of the clashes which had led to the displacement of hundreds of families.
In a statement on Sunday, it warned that as a result of the clashes, the area is suffering from shortages of food supplies, medicine and fuel.
UNSMIL appealed to all sides to end violence and guarantee the protection of civilians.
It also called on all parties to allow for the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian support.
Libyans have struggled to restore order to their country since Gaddafi's death in late 2011.
The transitional government and its security forces, meanwhile, have struggled to contain the armed militias that helped overthrow Gaddafi but which held onto their weapons after the 2011 uprising.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
