According to reprts, Libya has lost an incredible  $30 billion due to 10 months of protests at oilfields and export terminals. Despite this, the Central Bank  says the country has enough foreign currency reserves to keep the country operating.

“A wave of protests at oil facilities has reduced the North African country’s oil output to less than 200,000 barrels a day, down from 1.4 million bpd in July before the strikes started,” reports Star Africa.

Since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011,  the government is unable to control militias and armed tribesmen who now seize oilfields or state institutions at will to make political or financial demands.

This is troubling since oil and gas exports are the only source of revenue for the country’s $50 billion budget and to fund food purchases and other imports worth $30 billion.