Libya — humanitarian situation

Libya continues to face compounding humanitarian pressures from both chronic instability and acute climate shocks, alongside serving as a transit and destination country for displacement from neighbouring conflicts. In late May 2026, flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall struck the Ghat municipality in south-west Libya, affecting approximately 8,194 individuals in host communities and 7,100 migrants, with over 2,000 people displaced (IOM). At the time of assessment in early June, around 85 families—425 individuals—remained displaced in Tahala, with urgent needs identified across shelter, food, water, WASH, health, and non-food items. This disaster compounds existing humanitarian challenges across the country, where the armed conflict that intensified in recent years continues to affect communities through family separation, the search for missing persons, and sustained pressure on essential services (ICRC). Libya hosts a significant and growing population of Sudanese nationals fleeing the conflict that began in Sudan in 2023. An October 2025 assessment documented increased arrivals in Benghazi and Ejdabia—two municipalities hosting nearly a quarter of eastern Libya's Sudanese population—with most arriving directly through Alkufra or via Egypt (IOM). The influx reflects the ongoing deterioration of security conditions in Sudan, where armed clashes have intensified across multiple states through early 2026. Libya's position as both a destination and transit country for mixed migration flows places additional strain on local services and humanitarian response capacity, particularly in municipalities already hosting displaced populations. Market conditions showed some improvement in May 2026, with the national Full Minimum Expenditure Basket declining by 5.6 percent to LYD 1,180.44, partially reversing April's sharp increase (WFP). The Food MEB decreased by 6.8 percent to LYD 1,051.58, though the Non-Food Items MEB rose by 5.5 percent. Western Libya recorded the steepest reduction in overall basket costs, falling by 10.6 percent. Despite this temporary reprieve, economic pressures remain significant for vulnerable populations, particularly those affected by displacement and recent flooding events. Humanitarian access constraints persist in parts of the country, as illustrated by the arbitrary detention of 10 humanitarian activists by the Libyan Arab Armed Forces in eastern Libya in late May 2026, who were held for over two weeks while attempting to deliver aid to Gaza (Amnesty).