The Impact of the UN Sanctions Against LibyaExcerpts
from the Report on the Impact of the UN Sanctions against Libya which
was transmitted to Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali by the
Libyan Mission to the UN in September 1996
Sixth
comprehensive report on damage caused by the implementation
of Security Council Resolutions 748 (1992) and 883 (1993) during the
period from 15 April 1992 to 31 December 1995
The substantial damage caused
in the humanitarian, economic and social spheres by the coercive
and unjust measures taken against the Libyan Arab people under
Security Council resolutions 748 (1992) and 883 (1993) continues to worsen day
by day. In addition, all infrastructure development programmes
and plans have been adversely affected, thereby dashing the hopes and
aspirations of the Libyan Arab people to achieve progress, well-being,
development, stability, security and peace. Some particulars of the enormous
physical, material and financial damage sustained by the Libyan people
during the period indicated above are given hereunder.
HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELFARE
The sector aims to provide for
the health care and social well-being for all members of society and
to achieve the noble goals established by the international community
through its international and regional organizations and agencies. The goal
of "Health for All" must be pursued so that
all
social groups and segments of society can make solid progress and objectives in the areas of
health and social welfare can be achieved.
In this connection, it should
be pointed out that the sector has sustained enormous material and
humanitarian damage, affecting the Libyan population as a whole and most
of the expatriates from Arab and other friendly countries living in
the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, as can be seen from the following examples.
1. Some 15.750 persons living
in the Jamahiriya are suffering from serious medical conditions
(cardiovascular disease; fractures of the spinal column and thorax; fractured skulls;
chronic eye diseases; detached retinas: serious burns; cancer and
malignant tumours) which require emergency
treatment (neurosurgery; spinal marrow transplants; kidney transplants; corneal transplants; fitting of prostheses). Owing to the continuation of the aerial embargo, these individuals, who could not be treated in local hospitals and health-care facilities, could not be evacuated by air for treatment in other countries or for necessary medical examinations and surgery in hospitals and specialized health-care facilities with modern equipment. Because they could not obtain treatment, most of these patients died in tragic circumstances. 2. More than 780 seriously
injured patients (most of whom were the victims of road accidents) died in
ambulances en route to airports in neighbouring countries so that they could be
transported by air for treatment abroad in spite of the difficulties of
the overland journey.
3. There have been 1.135
stillbirths and 514 women have died in childbirth in the various hospitals owing
to the shortage of medicines, serums and vaccines. Prior to the aerial
embargo, such supplies had been imported regularly by air, with the
usual precautions being taken to preserve their efficacy and usability. The
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya was able in that way to meet its needs in this area,
particularly in emergency situations.
4. Owing to the aerial embargo
and the consequent increase in overland traffic, there has been a rise
in the number of road accidents. As Libyans have had to take to the roads
linking the major cities in the country, hundreds have been involved in
accidents in which they have been killed or suffered permanent disability.
There have been some 15.260 victims of road accidents, including 2.560
fatalities. The remaining 12.700 victims are suffering from serious injuries
or permanent disabilities.
More than 18.200 public and privately owned vehicles have been damaged,for an estimated cost of $1.450.000. 5. The number of diabetics who have died has increased, owing to the unavailability of serums and medicines. 6. The shortage of
poliomyelitis vaccine, which continues to worsen, has impeded the implementation of
periodic or annual therapeutic, preventive and awareness-raising
programmes connected with national and international immunization campaigns with
specific timetables. Many Libyan and other
children have thus been prevented from receiving doses at the prescribed times in accordance with the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and national public health laws and regulations. 7. Therapeutic and preventive
services for school health programmes have been suspended, as have the
programmes and activities of mother-and-child health-care centres and centres
for the mentally retarded and physically handicapped.
8. International pharmaceutical
companies have been slow in supplying the health and social welfare
sector and hospital establishments with essential pharmaceuticals and
equipment needed to treat and prevent diseases.
9. Companies specializing in
the maintenance of air ambulances have refused to supply the spare
parts needed to maintain the country's fleet and other on-board equipment.
These aircraft, which service Libyan citizens and expatriates alike, are
no longer able to perform fully their humanitarian mission, whether
in Libya or abroad, given the country's extensive land area.
10. Delays have consistently
occurred in the delivery of some medical supplies (serums, vaccines,
blood products, hormones, reagents used in AIDS testing, radioactive
iodine, etc.) because they are now shipped overland or by sea. Such
supplies are usually shipped by air (so that the normal measures can be taken to
preserve their efficacy); special permission must now be sought for the
purchase of such items. When they arrive in Libya, most of these
supplies (in particular, poliomyelitis vaccine) have lost their efficacy
(having been stored under improper conditions) which has resulted in an
increase in the number of deaths among infants and women, particularly in
childbirth, and disarray in the provision of health services generally.
11. Losses estimated at around
$180.800.000 have been experienced in the health and social welfare
sector owing to the maintenance of the aerial embargo against the Libyan Arab
Jamahiriya, which has caused delays in the shipment of medical supplies.
The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya obtains supplies
from specialized international companies to meet the needs of a variety of institutions (medical schools, technical institutes, rehabilitation centres and homes for the elderly). 12. Maintenance of the aerial
embargo has dealt a serious blow to preventive and curative health
services provided under international technical cooperation agreements. The
country is endeavouring to develop, strengthen and maintain such agreements
with various countries in order to develop the health and social welfare
sector and modernize its hospitals with the aim of providing improved
medical, therapeutic and prophylactic services for all its citizens.
13. The maintenance of the
embargo has also impeded cooperation programmes between the People's Committee
for Health and Social Welfare and the bodies under it, on the one
hand, and WHO, on the other. Most of the visits which international
experts and WHO teams were to make to Libya have been cancelled or
postponed, which has adversely affected all the major health care and
preventive health programmes and hampered efforts to promote and modernize the
health and social welfare sector. The failure or stagnation of international
cooperation in this area would prevent Libya from achieving the targets set
by WHO and pursuing the WHO strategy of "Health for All by the Year
2000".
14. More than 360 medical
specialists and highly qualified instructors from universities and medical
centres from around the world have been unable to come to the Libyan
Arab Jamahiriya to treat patients with serious conditions, perform
delicate surgical procedures in public hospitals, conduct examinations in
the country's medical schools at different times of the year, and
participate in conferences, symposia and courses organized in the country.
15. The growing shortage of
spare parts has resulted in a deterioration in the maintenance of
modern medical equipment used in hospitals and medical centres. In addition, there is
the lack of technical skills in most hospitals and health
establishments in major cities and villages alike.
16. More than 8.500 medical
doctors of various nationalities have been unable to come to the country
to work in the health and social welfare sector because of the
difficulties and hardships presented by the maintenance of the aerial embargo.
Some 6,400 medical specialists in various fields have not renewed their
contracts, which has adversely affected the quality of health care in the
majority of hospitals and other health facilities.
ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCESI. AGRICULTURE AND ANIMAL
HUSBANDRY
Since 15 April 1992, the
implementation of the sanctions under Security Council resolutions
748 (1992) and 883 (1993) has inflicted serious damage and caused major
financial losses in the agriculture and animal husbandry sector. These
have affected all companies and institutions in the sector, as well as
related development programmes. Agricultural output and meat
production have fallen off markedly, resulting in financial losses estimated at
$5.982.249.782.
II. TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS
The transport and
communications sector has suffered severely sincethe coercive sanctions were
first imposed on Libya on 15 April 1992. Not only has this sector sustained
heavy material damage and financial losses,but there have been moral and
psychological aspects as well, which have adversely affected the
capabilities, aspirations and morale of all transport and communication workers.
Financial losses are estimated at $1.157.523.500.
III. INDUSTRY AND MINING
Since the mandatory sanctions
under Security Council resolutions 748 (1992) and 883 (1993) were
first imposed, the industry and mining sector has continued to suffer
considerable losses and other material damages. The total financial loss
resulting from these increasingly adverse effects on all aspects of industrial
development amounts to approximately $4.150.677.942, which can
largely be ascribed to the following: (...)
IV. FINANCE AND TRADE
Like all the
other vital sectors, the finance and trade sector has suffered on account of the air
embargo imposed on the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya by Security Council resolutions
748 (1992) and 883 (1993). The total financial losses in the sector
are currently estimated at $4.257.000.000, primarily owing to the
following: (...)
V. ENERGY (PETROLEUM AND
ELECTRICITY)
The energy sector (petroleum
and electricity) has suffered considerable material losses as a result of
the mandatory sanctions applied pursuant to Security Council resolutions
748 (1992) and 883 (1993), and negative repercussions have been felt in
most of the vital facilities and economic entities of that sector. The
financial losses suffered by the sector are in the order of $3 billion.
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http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/dr_ibrahim_ighneiwa/impact.htm Spanish version: http://www.11-septiembre-2001.biz/SancionesLibia.html Edited by Ingrid Solem isolem@igc.apc.org |
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