In July 2017, Libyan Express reported that the municipality of Tobruk in eastern Libya had declared a humanitarian emergency. The trigger was a growing water shortage, as the city's desalination stations were described as outdated, unusable and in urgent need of repair. The declaration came during a meeting with officials from other municipal councils. At the same time, residents protested and demanded quick action from the authorities and the House of Representatives, threatening to close state institutions in the city within a week.
The report showed how heavily a coastal city depended on its desalination stations at the time, and how quickly their decline turned into a political crisis with street protests.
Source: Libyan Express