Tripoli―Precariously perched 50 meters up an electricity pylon providing power to Libya’s capital, Mohamad Dahman attempts to fix damage caused by fighting―but hastily descends when a rocket explodes nearby. On the road leading to Tripoli’s long-disused international airport, fighting has raged since early April when eastern-based military strongman Khalifa Haftar launched an assault to seize the capital from Libya’s unity government. High-voltage cables run along the road for 30 kilometers, carrying electricity to the capital, but they are regularly damaged by the fighting. Libya has faced chronic electricity shortages since 2011, particularly during the cold of winter and the searing heat of summer. “We’re counting on the national spirit of Libyans to help us by reducing their electricity use during the summer peak times,” Geneidi says.

Source: Libya Today May 31, 2019 11:15 UTC