By Zeynep Tufekci

TRIPOLI, Libya

Some 4.7 million vaccines have been sent to Libya to prevent the outbreak of infectious diseases, the UN children’s fund (UNICEF) said Thursday.

According to UNICEF, a cargo plane loaded with 4.7 million vaccine doses -- including those for measles, rubella and polio -- arrived early Thursday at Tripoli’s international airport.

In a statement, the children’s fund said a major vaccination campaign would be launched next week in Libya in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO).

Libya has remained in a state of turmoil since 2011, when a NATO-backed uprising led to the ouster and death of longtime President Muammar Gaddafi after more than four decades in power.