Libya’s natural resources, including oil and freshwater, continue to be abused and used for different political ends by various militias, particularly those in close proximity to the oil fields, for example, in the southern parts of the country.

On Aug. 21, 2011, when most of Tripoli fell to the rebels, six months after the start of the civil war, water supplies were cut for three days, making the already difficult conditions there even more miserable. Ever since, hardly a year has passed without water failures because of sabotage, power shortages or for political reasons. Taps at homes have typically gone dry for a week or less, but the latest cut dragged on for over two weeks, from Oct. 17 to Nov. 1.

When oil exports are disrupted, it is usually reported in the international media since oil is an important commodity to Libya and its international clients. But when the disruptions are about freshwater, for example, it is less likely to be reported by the global media.

The main reason is that not so many people outside the country know that Libya’s freshwater is supplied by a man-made river that runs about 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) to serve the major population centers, agriculture areas and industrial zones all over the huge, mostly desert country.