Rebuilding The Internet In A War Zone

Sirte, Libya, was destroyed by three separate militaries. Nearly the entire population fled. Now European and Libyan professionals are using equipment donated by French non-profit Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) to rebuild Sirte's telecommunications infrastructure.

During the Libyan Civil War, the city was caught in the crossfire between Qadaffi loyalists, NATO, and the rebels, creating destruction of World War II-like proportions. The city's isolation from the rest of Libya during the war has created urgent infrastructure problems; these issues have become especially acute for the operation of local hospitals and clinics. Two other NGOs, the International Medical Corps and the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development, are providing the manpower and know-how to develop the emergency network. Creating and rebuilding rudimentary telephone and internet services is as important a priority for Sirte as restoring electricity and water service. In the 21st century, having the Internet is an urgent necessity for medical professionals working in any sort of urban environment. Aid workers simply can't bring enough satellite phones to help bring facilities back to operating status--supplies need to be ordered, out-of-region experts need to be consulted, and electricity/clean water secured. Without reliable communications to secure the local infrastructure, the city is at risk of lacking the resources to treat many likely health emergencies.