Deprivation And Destruction Remain Widespread In Libya

BENGHAZI, LIBYA. JANUARY 31 2019. A car drives past ruined buildings in the old town of Benghazi on January 31, 2019 in Libya. After the Libyan revolution in 2011 and the downfall of the Gaddafi regime, the old town of Benghazi, located next to the city port, was taken over (during the political vacuum) by ISIS militants in June 2014. As the armed clashes intensified during 2014, the civilians fled the area leaving the militants to dig in and then take over the port nearby. That sparked off 3 years of heavy fighting between ISIS combatants and the newly-formed Libyan National Army who eventually defeated the militants in December 2017. Today, this part of the city lies in ruins with many of these buildings off-limits as they remain mined and booby-trapped with crude unexploded ordnance (UXO). Despite that, some families have returned to small pockets of the old town that have either been cleared or deemed safe by local authorities. (Photo by Giles Clarke/UNOCHA via Getty Images)