Pope Francis has called for the safe evacuation of refugees being held in detention camps in Libya as fighting in the north African nation continues to escalate.
Speaking to crowds in St Peter’s Square on Sunday, the Pope reportedly said the situation for the refugees, while already “very serious”, had become “even more dangerous due to the ongoing conflict”.
He raised the possibility of using humanitarian corridors for an evacuation of the refugees, especially women, children and those with illness.
There have been reports since fighting broke out that refugees had been taken from detention centres and forced to assist militants aligned with the UN-backed government based in Tripoli.
The UN has evacuated hundreds of refugees from southern Tripoli where they had been held in detention centres.
Fighting broke out in Libya earlier this month when a rival administration based in the country’s east launched an offensive on Tripoli. The country has been in turmoil sine the Western-backed overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
The WHO said last week that more than 260 people had died and more than 1,200 been wounded in the fighting.
