Between 30 and 50% of fuel imported into Libya from January to September 2026 was reportedly diverted to smuggling, Hanna Tetteh, the special representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya, told the Security Council on Wednesday, 14 October.
Over those nine months, the country imported 8.15 million tonnes of fuel worth 8.9 billion dollars. The value of the diverted volumes lies between 2.4 and 4.4 billion dollars, according to the estimate presented by Hanna Tetteh.
The rise in global fuel prices since mid-year, particularly diesel, increases the incentive to resell subsidised products abroad from Libya, she said. The state bears the cost of these supplies, while part of the volumes does not reach domestic consumption.
The UN envoy links these practices to shortages affecting households and essential services, particularly in the south of the country. The diversions also reduce, she said, the authorities' capacity to pay public-sector salaries, maintain infrastructure and provide basic services.
The mission had already raised the alarm on 26 September about the effects of interruptions to the Sharara-Zawiya pipeline, which threatened fuel supplies and electricity generation. In her assessment presented on Wednesday, Hanna Tetteh puts the production lost during the blockages of two pipelines in September at about one million barrels, a value close to 100 million dollars.