Turning a blind eye to the humanitarian disaster developing in the Libyan capital will cost us dear, President George Vella has warned.
In a tweet, the former Foreign Minister and Malta's new president gave a clear indication that he will continue speaking on foreign affairs throughout his mandate.
"Why are the UN and the Western world turning a blind eye?" Dr Vella asked in a tweet posted on Friday.
Why are the UN and the Western world turning a blind eye to the humanitarian disaster developing in Tripoli Libya. It will cost us dear!
— George Vella (@presidentmt) April 19, 2019
His comments come as general Khalifa Haftar, seen by his allies Egypt and the United Arab Emirates as a bulwark against Islamists, declared he wants to seize the capital, now controlled by a UN-recognized government and an array of militias.
More than 200 people have been killed since the violence erupted, and more than 900 wounded, the World Health Organization said on Thursday. More than 25,000 have been displaced, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Libya is the source of almost all migrants from northern Africa attempting to make the crossing to Europe. The trouble erupted as EU states have clamped down on humanitarian vessels helping migrants in the Mediterranean and amid Italy's right-wing offensive against migration.
Malta was asked to help to assist thousands of foreign workers as Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown in 2011.