From 1 August to 31 august 2016, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) documented 47 civilian casualties, including 32 deaths and 15 injured, during the conduct of hostilities across Libya. Victims included 8 children killed and 5 injured, 18 men killed and 10 injured and 6 women killed.
Civilian Casualties
The majority of civilian deaths were caused by air strikes (27 deaths and 7 injured), while the next leading cause of death was explosive remnants of war (3 deaths and 2 injured) and then gun shots (2 deaths and 6 injured).
UNSMIL documented 29 deaths and 11 injured in Benghazi, 3 deaths and 1 injured in Ajdabiya and 3 injured in Derna.
While no one claimed responsibility for the air strikes, information received indicated that the Libyan National Army/Libyan Air Force carried out most of the airstrikes that caused civilian casualties in Derna (3 injured) and two incidents in Benghazi (27 deaths and 4 injured). UNSMIL was unable to determine with certainty which other parties caused civilian casualties in August.
Other Casualties
On 8 August, a man was reportedly shot dead by a bank staff member in al-Marj. The incident allegedly occurred following an argument about the shortage of cash in the bank. This is one of a number of incidents in which civilians have been killed at banks since liquidity problems have limited access to cash for customers.
On 15 August 2016, UNSMIL received information that it was not able to adequately cross-checked that a number of former Buhdeima prisoners were killed and injured during airstrikes in Benghazi. While UNSMIL has not been able to verify the information, it is concerned that this group, along with other civilians trapped in the Qanfouda area of Benghazi, are particularly at risk of death or injury from hostilities.
