Libya: Thousands still displaced from Bani Walid and Sirte
| Publisher | Norwegian Refugee Council/Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (NRC/IDMC) |
| Publication Date | 25 November 2011 |
| Cite as | Norwegian Refugee Council/Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (NRC/IDMC), Libya: Thousands still displaced from Bani Walid and Sirte , 25 November 2011, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4ed8d2c92.html [accessed 20 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
A month since the Libyan interim government declared the country's liberation on 23 October, many people remain internally displaced and further assistance from international organisations is needed to avoid local coping capacities being overwhelmed. As of 31 October, according to OCHA, an estimated 80,000 people had fled from Bani Walid and Sirte, many of them to areas around Tripoli, Misrata and Benghazi; the International Medical Corps (IMC) reported that some 10,000 people from Sirte city centre had taken refuge on the outskirts of the city. An estimated 30,000 IDPs were spread across the east of Libya.
In mid-November, however, the Civil Council of Bani Walid estimated that from 70 to 75 per cent of its population of between 70,000 and 80,000 had returned. Those remaining in displacement were either still living in camps, or with host families or in rented accommodation. Their return seems to be delayed by damage to their homes and their lack of cash.
The return of IDPs to Sirte has been slower, as electricity supplies are still limited and the infrastructure has been badly damaged. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross / Red Crescent (ICRC), only an estimated 10,000 people displaced from Sirte had been able to return to their homes by 18 November.
