Fleeing battle for Tripoli, Libyan families take refuge in abandoned factory

A displaced Libyan family, that fled their house because of the fighting between the Eastern forces commanded by Khalifa Haftar and the internationally recognised government, sits at the industrial complex, which is used as a shelter, in Tripoli, Libya April 16, 2019. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - At a shut-down factory in the Libyan capital, traumatised men, women and children are living in cramped huts that used to house workers but are now makeshift shelter for civilians uprooted by conflict.

More than 18,000 people have been displaced, according to the United Nations, by a two-week offensive by forces from eastern Libya trying to take the capital from the internationally recognised government.