UNITED NATIONS, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The rocket and mortar shelling of residential areas in Tripoli "is completely unacceptable by any measure," a UN spokesman said on Friday.
"The United Nations is gravely concerned about the continued reports of indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas in Tripoli," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Dujarric stressed the need to protect civilians and grant immediate, unconditional access for humanitarian partners.
Our colleagues say the humanitarian situation in Tripoli continues to deteriorate with heavy fighting ongoing, including in populated areas, the spokesman said.
Civilians in conflict-affected areas are experiencing electricity cuts and water shortages as a result of damaged infrastructure, while access to essential items such as food, medicine and fuel is being severely hampered, he said.
The UN Migration Agency reported that nearly 39,000 people have been displaced from their homes.
Humanitarian partners evacuated 655 refugees and migrants from the Qasr Bin Ghashir detention center, Dujarric said.
The spokesman reported earlier in the week of violence erupting in the center on Tuesday but gave no details.
Now, Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in a release issued in New York and Tripoli on Thursday said that refugees and migrants in Qasr Bin Ghashir were shot and injured during the incident.
"More than 700 unarmed men, women and children were trapped in the center," MSF said. "Several reports suggested several deaths and at least 12 people injured."
Analysis of photographic and video evidence by MSF doctors concluded that the injuries shown were consistent with gunshot wounds.
"These observations were also supported by numerous accounts from refugees and migrants who witnessed the event and reported on being brutally and indiscriminately attacked with the use of firearms," the humanitarian group said.
More than 3,000 refugees and migrants remain trapped in seven detention facilities around Tripoli, Dujarric said.
The refugees and migrants were stopped in their attempts to sail across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe and were being held in Libya.
Tripoli is witnessing armed conflict as the east-based army, led by Khalifa Haftar, has been leading a military campaign since early April to take over Tripoli from the UN-backed government.
The UN mission in Libya remains in touch with all the parties to try to reach a cessation of hostilities or at least a humanitarian pause, the spokesman said.
