Market Systems in Libya: Assessment of the Wheat Flour, Insulin, Tomato and Soap Supply Chains

The Market Systems in Libya assessment aims to provide humanitarian organisations with a better understanding of market dynamics in Libya, information on key supply chains and how they have been impacted by ongoing conflict, and the necessary foundation to examine the potential of scaling up market and cash-based interventions.
The Libya Cash & Markets Working Group (CMWG) identified information gaps in how humanitarian actors understand local markets in Libya and consequently initiated the Joint Market Analysis Initiative, led by REACH in close collaboration with the CMWG, for the purpose of producing this assessment.
Qualitative data was collected during August and September 2017 in Tripoli, Benghazi and Sebha through 234 key informant interviews with producers, importers, wholesalers, retailers, and other stakeholders in the wheat flour, insulin, tomato and soap supply chains, as well as 12 focus group discussions with Libyan and migrant consumers. These supply chains were selected to reflect different market sectors of interest to humanitarian actors.
Overall, the assessment found that in spite of disruptions following the renewal of the Libyan conflict in 2014, the wheat flour, insulin, tomato and soap supply chains are functional. Given the general market functionality and overall market access for vulnerable populations, the
CMWG recommends that cash and market-based responses be prioritized where appropriate in Tripoli, Benghazi and Sebha.