Bani Walid has suffered from many losses in the aftermath of two conflicts in 2011 and 2012. This includes the disappearance of its garbage collection trucks, which has left a particularly noticeable impact. Fawzi Abusta, Director of the Public Services and Hygiene General Company, said that this period saw the “theft of garbage collection trucks and destruction of others.”

Mr Abusta said the public services company "already faced the task of providing quality cleaning services to its 70,000 citizens, armed only with 60 vehicles and 150 cleaners in 2011. Now, in the wake of the conflicts, the General Company has the overwhelming challenge of  serving  more than double the population with far fewer resources. With the support of the Stabilization Facility for Libya, we are rising to meet that challenge.”

Restoring public services in Bani Walid and beyond

The Facility, which recently relaunched as SFL—Stronger for Libya, aims to enhance the capacities of local and national institutions to deliver services to citizens. It gives an effective voice to women and youth and ensures that local strategies contribute to a more stable Libya.

Since its implementation in 2016, SFL has undertaken over 290 investment projects in seven target cities. These projects range from restoring power or water, to providing equipment or even repairing educational facilities in order to support the Libyan people’s own efforts. The Facility has delivered three ambulances, eight generators, and two garbage collection trucks to the municipality of Bani Walid.

In addition, SFL regularly meets with service companies and municipal communications staff to promote coordination and communication with citizens as well as training local groups and authorities on conflict avoidance and resolution.

“It is a challenge for us to deliver cleaning services to more than 150,000 citizens as well as to 25 educational facilities, 20 health centers and so on. We appreciate the assistance, which greatly helps us perform our duties. We thank the Stabilization Facility for Libya for its support to Bani Walid and to the Public Services and Hygiene General Company,” Fawzi says.

Sustainable cities and communities

Providing a clean environment for the citizens of Bani Walid is a priority after years of devastation. Now the Public Services and Hygiene General Commpany is better prepared to provide this clean environment.

Improvements such as these have not gone unnoticed by citizens of Bani Walid. “Recently we have begun to see and feel a great interest in the overall appearance of the city’s cleanliness and the presence of cleaners in various streets and facilities of the city, such as health centers, public hospitals, schools, colleges and others,” said Mohammed Abuqila, a city resident and the head of a family of six.