Libya
Shortly after Libya’s civil war began in 2011, International Medical Corps deployed teams to provide countrywide emergency medical services, train health workers and deliver vital medicines and supplies. Starting in the country’s east, we built makeshift health facilities to provide critical care to conflict-affected populations and moved with the front lines westward until the fighting dissipated.
As the situation progressed, we transitioned from emergency services to programs that foster recovery and self-reliance, targeting vulnerable populations deprived of access to basic healthcare services, including internally displaced persons (IDPs) and migrants transiting the country on their way to Europe. International Medical Corps continues to support the rehabilitation of health clinics and provide vitally needed healthcare services to underserved communities. We also help to strengthen the Libyan healthcare system by building the capacity of national staff and institutions.
7.3 million
75.5/80 years
male/female
26 years
The Challenges
Fractured Health System
Libya has about 1,300 health facilities for a population of 7.3 million
Natural Disasters
Storm Daniel struck northeast Libya in September 2023, leading to catastrophic flooding and significant damage
Displaced people
There are nearly 680,000 refugees, asylum seekers, IDPs and returnees in Libya
Our Response
Healthcare Support
International Medical Corps operates mobile medical units (MMUs) across all regions in Libya to deliver emergency and essential healthcare services to both Libyan and non-Libyan populations. With each MMU comprising a diverse team of specialists—including emergency medicine physicians, obstetricians, pediatricians, pharmacists, physiotherapists, lab technicians, nurses and midwives—they are able to effectively address a wide range of emergency health conditions while ensuring the availability of primary healthcare services.
Each MMU team also includes community health workers (CHWs) who play a crucial role in raising awareness among migrant and refugee communities about common health issues, promoting psychosocial well-being and preventing diseases. In addition to providing direct medical care, MMUs organize and provide regular training sessions and on-the-job tutorials for healthcare providers that cover both theoretical knowledge and practical skills on pressing health topics. International Medical Corps also collaborates closely with the Ministry of Health (MoH) to support sustainable healthcare efforts. This partnership involves training healthcare workers, supplying medications and medical equipment, and rehabilitating healthcare facilities to ensure the continuity and effectiveness of our interventions.
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)
International Medical Corps provides MHPSS services remotely and in-person through trained doctors who navigate the identification, management and referral of priority mental health conditions in line with World Health Organization guidelines. We also build the capacity of healthcare providers at the primary healthcare level on several mental health topics, to ensure that they can provide MHPSS services as part of primary healthcare. Furthermore, to strengthen community-based MHPSS efforts, we train people from different municipalities to facilitate training and awareness sessions that advocate for mental health at the community level.
Violence Against Women and Girls
International Medical Corps operates in many locations across Libya, focusing on building local capacity through partnerships with women-led organizations, local civil society organizations and government centers. We prioritize direct assistance for displaced women and girls, returnees and people from the host and migrant communities. Our efforts include providing access to case management, skill-building activities, awareness-raising campaigns, and other prevention and risk mitigation activities. Our psychosocial support group activities promote opportunities and services for women, and help in increasing resilience, ownership and community engagement.
Flooding in Libya
On September 10, 2023, Storm Daniel struck northeast Libya, dumping months’ worth of rain in a matter of hours and causing the catastrophic collapse of two dams upstream from the coastal city of Derna. International Medical Corps was quickly able to begin providing health services in Derna after the flooding. International Medical Corps deployed mobile teams to address needs around health, women’s and girls’ protection, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). We provided primary and emergency healthcare in the affected areas and built the capacity of the national healthcare providers through training programs.
Learn more about our response to the flooding in Libya.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Non-food Items (NFI)
In the aftermath of the 2023 floods, damage to WASH infrastructure put the entire flood-affected area at risk for waterborne diseases. International Medical Corps provided sanitation supplies and millions of liters of clean water. Through our water trucking program, we delivered clean water and filled household water tanks to meet daily needs. At the same time, we distributed bottled water, hygiene kits and water purification tablets to flood-affected communities and conducted awareness-raising sessions. We also repaired health facilities and trained volunteers to keep the systems running safely.
Flooding in Libya
On September 10, 2023, Storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall to northeastern areas of the country. The next day, two dams upstream of the coastal city of Derna collapsed, releasing 30 million cubic meters of water that ripped through the city of 90,000 inhabitants. This catastrophic event swept entire buildings, with thousands of people still inside them, into the Mediterranean Sea. In the flood-affected area, 84% of hospitals and 88% of primary health centers were nonfunctional or only partially functional in the aftermath.
Learn more about our response