Jeeza Navy, once a thriving neighborhood in Sirte, Libya, with over 5,000 residents and 700 homes, has been unrecognisable since the war with ISIS left it in ruins. For Salha, 34, a nurse at Sirte clinic, the neighbourhood she grew up in is now a distant memory. She and her family were forced to flee in 2016 when the conflict reached their doorstep.
"I can never forget those days", Salha recalled. "How gloomy and dark the city became, the fear of going out and losing someone, all the noises of shooting, bombing, and shouting. I felt too anxious and scared that I’d lose my family."
Salha and her family found refuge in Khums, but life was far from easy. Unable to afford rent, they slept on the floor of an empty room until locals helped them with basic necessities. To support her family, Salha worked a series of part-time jobs, from a clothing shop to a nursery.
When the fighting finally ceased and Sirte was retaken from ISIS, Salha and her family returned to find nothing but rubble where their home once stood. "Even though I was devastated that we had no home to return to, I was still grateful to return to Sirte", she said. "I managed to graduate from college with my friends, reunite with the rest of the family, and get engaged."
But even now, eight years after they first fled, the residents of Jeeza Navy cannot return. Most homes remain destroyed, and the area is still littered with deadly remnants of war.
HALO's Community Liaison Officer speaking with Salha
HALO teams in Libya have been working tirelessly to clear Jeeza Navy of explosive ordnance since 2019. Using mechanical clearance teams equipped with excavators and other specialised tools, HALO has safely removed 759 explosive items, including hand grenades, mortars and projectiles.
HALO's mechanical team clearing access roads in Jeeza Navy. Left: the excavator moving rubble to inspection site. Right: a deminer raking through the rubble to search for explosive ordnance items.
"When we heard that there was a mine action organisation working in Jeeza Navy, we were thrilled. The area has been neglected for far too long. This has given us hope that life can return as it once was, free of rubble, destruction, and threats of explosives."
In May 2024, HALO launched a partnership with the Sirte Cleaning Company and the local municipality to accelerate urban recovery. This innovative project combines explosive ordnance removal with recycling rubble into concrete for rebuilding homes and infrastructure. For residents like Salha, it's a beacon of hope.
"I want my family and the rest of Jeeza Navy residents to return", Salha said. "We miss our neighbours. We were so close to each other, as if we were all one big family."
Thanks to support from the US State Department and contributions from our donor community, the dream of a safe home is becoming a reality for families like Salha's. By clearing the way and recycling debris into the foundations of a new future, Jeeza Navy is on the path to recovery, one step closer to becoming a neighbourhood again.
