Diplomatic efforts to mediate between Libya's two governments have so far been unsuccessful. Germany wants to convince rival administrations to participate in an international conference to end the power struggle.
Image: AFP/M. Turkia
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German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who arrived in Zuwara on an unannounced visit on Sunday, was set to hold talks with Fayez Serraj, the head of Libya's UN-backed government.
Maas was received at the coastal city's airport by Libya's Foreign Minister Mohamed Taher Siala.
The German foreign minister's visit was not announced in advance for security reasons, according to German officials.
Libya has two rival administrations: the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) headed by Serraj, and the other allied with the Libyan National Army's (LNA) Khalifa Haftar, which has a stronghold in the eastern city of Tobruk.
Libya has fallen into chaos since a 2011 uprising that toppled and killed long-ruling dictator Moammar Gadhafi. A number of armed groups are now vying for control of the country or various regions of it.
Fighting in Tripoli has been fierce since Haftar's LNA launched an offensive in April to capture the capital from the internationally recognized GNA.
The World Health Organization says that at least 1,000 people have died in the fighting between the GNA and the LNA forces since April.
Berlin wants the two administrations to agree to a ceasefire and take part in an international conference to negotiate a settlement. Three preparatory meetings for the summit have already taken place.
The German foreign ministry said in a tweet on Sunday that Berlin supports UN's Libya envoy Ghassan Salame peace plan for the war-torn country.
In September, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that the Libyan civil war could spiral into a bigger conflict like the one in Syria.
Libya is an important transit country for migrants who want to reach Europe. According to estimates by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Libya currently hosts between 700,000 and 1 million refugees.
In addition, more than 300,000 Libyans have been displaced as a result of fighting in the country.
Due to its copious oil resources, Libya was one of North Africa's richest countries. A civil war then plunged Libya into chaos. As a result, large parts of the country could now even run out of drinking water.
Image: Reuters/H. Ahmed
Lack of basic necessities
A health system crisis is looming in Libya. Particularly the western parts of the country are running out of drinkable water. 101 of 149 conduits of the water supply system have already been destroyed in the wake of the chaotic situation in the country.
Image: Reuters/E.O. Al-Fetori
Modern water pipeline system in deterioration
Libya is mainly made up of arid desert. Under dictator Muammar Gaddafi, the 1980s saw the construction of a vast pipeline system known as the "Great Man-Made River." Those pipelines supply more than 70 percent of Libya's population with fresh water. However, since the fall of Gaddafi, the system has been damaged time and again.
Image: Reuters/E.O. Al-Fetori
Civil war and chaos
Since Gaddafi was toppled in 2011, the country has descended into chaos. The internationally recognized government in Tripoli is weak and not in control of large parts of Libya. On the other hand, renegade General Khalifa Haftar and his self-styled Libya National Army (LNA) control large areas predominantly in the east of the country.
Image: AFP/M. Turkia
Target Tripoli
The LNA, in particular, uses the water pipeline system in order to push through its demands, thereby endangering Libya's population. In May, armed forces loyal to Haftar forced water supply employees to cut off the main water pipeline to the besieged capital, Tripoli, for two days, in a bid to press authorities to release a prisoner.
Image: Reuters/H. Ahmed
Water as a weapon of war
It's not only the rebel groups who exploit the water supply system to push through their interests. There are also people who dismantle wellheads, in order to sell the copper those heads are made of. The United Nations have warned all sides in Libya not to use water as a weapon of war.
Image: Reuters/E.O. Al-Fetori
Health hazards
Mostafa Omar, a UNICEF spokesman for Libya, estimates that, in future, some four million people might be deprived of access to safe drinking water if no solution to the conflict is found. This could result in an outbreak of hepatitis A, cholera, and other diarrhea illnesses.
Image: Reuters/E.O. Al-Fetori
Drinking water not fit to drink
Water is not only scarce, but it's also contaminated in many areas. Bacteria or a high content of salt make it unfit for consumption. 'Often, in fact, it's no longer drinkable water,' says Badr al-Din al-Najjar, the head of Libya's National Center for Disease Control.
