Libya: Worsening power outages disrupt life across Libya amid summer heat.

SHOTLIST: TRIPOLI, LIBYA (JULY 29, 2026) 1. VARIOUS OF RESIDENT FILLING POWER GENERATOR WITH FUEL AND STARTING GENERATOR 2. ONE OF LIBYAN RESIDENTS MOHAMMED SASI SPEAKING TO REPORTER (Arabic) 3. ONE OF LIBYAN RESIDENTS AHMED DAV SPEAKING TO REPORTER (Arabic) 4. ONE OF LIBRESIDENT ABDULLAH FIRCANI SPEAKING TO REPORTER (Arabic) 5. VARIOUS OF FOOD SHOP OWNER, EDIP AL-ALIM WORKING AT HIS SHOP WITHOUT ELECTRICITY 6. SHOP OWNER EDIP AL-ALIM SPEAKING TO REPORTER (Arabic)TRIPOLI, LIBYA - JULY 29, 2026: Daily power outages lasting four to 10 hours have disrupted life across Libya over the past month amid extreme heat, bringing businesses and government offices without generators to a standstill. Resuming after nearly two years of grid stability, the blackouts have sparked public protests in Tripoli and other cities as residents cope by running vehicle air conditioning or swimming in the sea to escape the heat. While experts attribute the power failures to fuel disruptions, grid inefficiencies, and maintenance deficiencies, Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah blamed the General Electricity Company of Libya and called for an investigation into those responsible. Mohammed Sasi, a Tripoli resident, said daily cuts lasting six to eight hours disrupt municipal water delivery, ruin household appliances, and endanger family members who require refrigerated medication. Another resident, Ahmed Dav, noted that blackouts reaching eight hours have brought work across government offices and shops without generators to a standstill, adding that state leadership must resolve the crisis rather than expecting citizens to adapt. Abdullah Fircani, a retired officer living in Ayn Zara, said seven-hour outages create harsh conditions for relatives managing chronic health issues, leaving them without basic necessities like cold drinking water. Meanwhile, food shop owner Edip el-Alim reported that daily seven- to eight-hour power cuts force him to throw away spoiled ingredients, stopping his cash flow completely. Libyan protesters declared a campaign of civil disobedience on Monday to demand improvements in electricity services, accountability for officials overseeing the power sector and urgent solutions to recurring water shortages, fuel scarcity and cash liquidity problems. The protests coincide with an intense heat wave that has swept Libya in recent days, triggering widespread electricity outages across much of the country and extending power rationing to more than 14 hours in some areas. Daily blackouts have affected both western and eastern Libya since the beginning of July. The Tripoli-based government has been working since 2021 to address the electricity crisis, and the sector has witnessed a remarkable improvement from 2023 to 2025. Libya remains split between two rival governments: the internationally recognized Government of National Unity, headed by Dbeibeh and based in Tripoli, which administers western Libya; and a government appointed by the House of Representatives in early 2022, currently headed by Osama Hammad and based in Benghazi, which administers the east and most of the south. For years, the UN Support Mission in the oil-rich country has sought to broker a political settlement leading to elections, which many Libyans hope will end the country's political divisions and armed conflict that have persisted since the 2011 ouster of Muammar Gaddafi.