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UN official warns misinformation over migrant resettlement has sparked attacks on UN premises in Libya
Summary
An agency official told the Security Council that false claims UN plans to settle migrants in Libya have fueled demonstrations and violence, including a June 4 protest that blocked UNHCR access and breaches of mission perimeters.
An agency official told the United Nations Security Council that a wave of misinformation alleging United Nations plans to settle migrants in Libya has contributed to a climate of hostility, threats and violence against humanitarian workers and UN personnel.
"False and misleading claims, particularly allegations of UN plans to settle migrants or refugees in Libya, have contributed to a climate of hostility, threats, and violence against humanitarian workers and UN personnel," the official said, adding: "Let me use this opportunity to state clearly that the UN in Libya is not in the business of resettling migrants into Libya."
The official said that on June 4 hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside UNHCR and other UN buildings to protest the alleged plans; demonstrators blocked access to UNHCR and, at what the transcript names as "Ansmell," protesters breached the mission perimeter, damaged entrance gates, dumped sand and construction debris and threw stones at UN security personnel.
The official linked the demonstrations to deliberate misinformation on media platforms and warned that inflammatory narratives risked deepening divisions and placing people at risk. He urged responsible public discourse and stronger protection for humanitarian actors and UN premises.
