UN blames online disinformation for protests outside Libya offices

June 5 (Reuters) - The United ‌Nations said on ​Friday ​it is deeply concerned by violent protests outside its offices in Libya this week and blamed social media for fueling disinformation ‌about the world body's work in the country.

Hundreds of Libyan ⁠demonstrators blocked off the office of the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) in Tripoli on Thursday during ‌a protest against migrants who ‌travel to Libya in search of work or passage to Europe.

It was the largest of several recent demonstrations against migrants, whom some Libyans blame ​for social and economic problems that have become more visible during 15 years of conflict and political division in the North African country.

"We ⁠are deeply concerned by the violent protests that took place yesterday outside the UNHCR and UNSMIL headquarters in ​Tripoli," U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a regular briefing at U.N. headquarters in New York.

"The U.N. strongly condemns any attack ​or threats against personnel or premises," he ‌said, adding: "We are concerned by the spread of misinformation and disinformation regarding the work of the United Nations in ⁠Libya."

Dujarric said countering disinformation in Libya was "extremely challenging" and called for cooperation from social media platforms to address the problem.

UNSMIL - the United Nations Support Mission in Libya - ⁠said on Thursday there is no U.N. resettlement program in Libya and that UNHCR works ​to help people fleeing war with solutions outside the country, including evacuation to third countries and voluntary return when conditions allow.

Since a NATO-backed uprising in 2011, Libya has ‌become a transit route for hundreds of thousands of migrants fleeing conflict and poverty, often in sub-Saharan Africa, with ‌many risking dangerous journeys across the desert or the Mediterranean.

The oil-dependent Libyan economy ⁠is also a draw for migrants ‌seeking work, and many ​do menial jobs in sectors including cleaning and construction that Libyans are reluctant to fill.

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by ‌Sanjeev Miglani)

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