TRIPOLI, April 9 (Xinhua) -- The forces of the UN-backed government of Libya on Thursday accused the rival eastern-based army of attacking a hospital in the capital Tripoli treating COVID-19 patients for the second time in a week.
"Commander of eastern-based army launched a Grad missile attack on medicines stores of Al-Khadra General Hospital that contain equipment to protect against the coronavirus," the UN-backed government's forces said in a statement.
The hospital was attacked on Monday, forcing the hospital's authorities to evacuate all the patients, including those infected with COVID-19.
UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Libya Yacoub El Hillo condemned the attack on the hospital, saying it is a clear violation of international humanitarian law.
"The repeated calls by the United Nations and the international community for a cessation of hostilities have only been met with complete disregard and intensified fighting. This is unacceptable at a time when healthcare and health workers are vital in our fight against a global pandemic," El Hillo said in a statement.
Moreover, the UN-backed government's forces said an African worker was killed and six others were injured by an attack of the eastern-based army in eastern Tripoli.
The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has documented at least 356 civilian deaths and 329 injuries since the outbreak of a conflict in April 2019 between the eastern-based army and the UN-backed government in and around Tripoli.
Since the beginning of the conflict, nearly 150,000 people in and around Tripoli have been forced to flee their homes, with 345,000 civilians remaining in frontline areas and some 749,000 living in conflict-affected areas, according to UNSMIL.
