Libya

About

UNMAS deployed to Libya in March 2011 and was integrated into the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) in July 2012. As UNSMIL’s Mine Action Section, the UNMAS programme operates under the mandate of Security Council resolution 2796 (2025), which calls for securing and effectively managing stockpiles, clearing explosive ordnance (EO) and explosive remnants of war (ERW) from hazardous areas, and protecting civilians and their livelihoods, including internally displaced persons (IDPs). UNMAS is further guided by General Assembly resolution A/RES/78/70 (2023) on assistance in mine action. Its activities in Libya support humanitarian response, stabilization and reconciliation efforts, as well as progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

Since 2011, Libya has faced recurrent cycles of conflict and instability, including the most recent large-scale hostilities in Tripoli in May 2025. These and an ammunition storage explosion in Misrata in August 2025 have increased EO contamination and re-contamination, particularly in urban areas. The Libyan Mine Action Centre (LibMAC) has recorded over 302 million m² of confirmed or suspected hazardous areas, with ERW continuing to endanger civilians, impede the safe and voluntary return of IDPs, and hinder stabilization, rehabilitation, and sustainable development across Libya. Since May 2020, the deliberate and indiscriminate use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), booby-traps, and ERW have caused 235 accidents and 473 casualties (172 deaths and 301 injured), the majority civilians. In 2025 alone, 19 of 52 victims were children, indicating the severe safety risks.

In 2011, airstrikes on ammunition storage areas (ASAs) led to the partial destruction of stockpiles and contributed to the broad availability of weapons and EO. The fragmented security environment, including the control of some ASAs by armed groups, continues to limit comprehensive assessments of arms and ammunition risks. The easy access to military-grade explosives has enabled armed groups, including extremist actors, to use IEDs and booby-traps. Despite these challenges, there are opportunities for UNMAS to strengthen confidence-building with Libyan counterparts and expand engagement in WAM. The sophistication of explosive devices in circulation exceeds the current response capacity of many Libyan institutions, underscoring the need for sustained support from mine action partners.

Impact

1 January to 31 December 2025

• Over 57,203 explosive remnants of war (ERW) were found and disposed of across Libya, indicating the level explosive ordnance (EO) contamination. Many hazardous areas require re-surveying and updating due to the re-contamination.
• A total 42,321 people received explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) in Libya through 2,882 EORE sessions delivered by implementing partners.
• In 2025, Non-Technical Survey (NTS) activities covered a total area of 222,214,175 sqm, identifying 278,650.17 sqm as confirmed hazardous areas. This brings the cumulative total of hazardous areas to 302,069,605 sqm. During the same period, implementing partners successfully cleared 1,281,934 sqm.

Activities

UNMAS supports Libyan institutions and the wider mine action sector in safely and effectively addressing the threat posed by EO and the proliferation of weapons and ammunition, thereby helping to create conditions conducive to humanitarian assistance, sustainable peace, and long-term development. UNMAS activities are structured around: Mine Action Coordination and Protection of Civilians, Weapons and Ammunition Management, Capacity Enhancement of Libyan Institutions, and Advancing the Peace Process aimed at reducing the impacts of explosive ordnance contamination. These efforts contribute to the implementation of the UN Mine Action Strategy, the UNMAS Libya Programme Strategy, and the UNSMIL and UNCT Libya country workplans.

Weapons and Ammunition Management (WAM)

Libya continues to retain one of the world’s largest and least secure stockpiles of arms and ammunition, the result of decades of accumulation and successive cycles of conflict since 2011. While several ASAs were damaged or destroyed during earlier airstrikes, many others remain outside effective state control and are held by fragmented security actors, armed groups, contributing to diversion and the uncontrolled spread of weapons and ammunition. UNMAS supports Libyan institutions with technical guidance on safe stockpile management and delivers small arms and light weapons risk-awareness activities to strengthen community resilience.

Mine Action Coordination and Protection of Civilians

UNMAS mitigates the threat posed by ERW by working with Libyan institutions to coordinate an effective mine action response. At the request of national counterparts, UNMAS also supports the development of contingency plans for survey, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), and EORE to address capacity gaps and strengthen responses during emergencies. Funded by Italy, UNMAS currently implements a project that contributes to much-needed progress in mine action across Libya. Through this support, and in partnership with the LibMAC, specialized clearance teams are deployed to address hazardous areas in the south of Tripoli and at the August explosion site in Misrata. These efforts, ongoing since August 2025, directly contribute to reducing daily risks and improving the safety of civilian communities.

Capacity Enhancement of Libyan Institutions

The capacity to address the extent of EO contamination and WAM challenges in Libya remains limited, with significant gaps in both knowledge and equipment. UNMAS therefore prioritizes strengthening national institutions, including support to LibMAC in the development and implementation of the Libyan Mine Action Standards and technical support in the development of the Libyan Mine Action Strategy. UNMAS also assists Libyan authorities in formulating and applying processes, policies, and guidelines on EOD and WAM in line with international standards. To this end, UNMAS has provided targeted capacity-development assistance to Libyan institutions.

Advancing the Peace Process

UNMAS continues to support UNSMIL and the parties implementing the October 2020 Ceasefire Agreement by providing technical assistance to the 5+5 Joint Military Commission. In 2025, UNMAS supported the 5+5 Training Centre for Humanitarian Demining for the third time, delivering training on the role of non-technical survey and the land-release process. The THCD, under Libya’s Ministry of Defence, promotes cooperation among the 5+5 Initiative member states: France, Italy, Portugal, Malta, Spain, Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia.

Funding

UNMAS implements these activities in close cooperation with local and international stakeholders and receives funding to carry out its activities from the UNSMIL Regular Budget and bilateral donors, including Italy and Spain.