The United Nations Refugee Agency has renewed calls to allow safe passage for civilians trapped in areas of armed conflict in the Libyan capital Tripoli.

The city has been the scene of sporadic and deadly clashes between rival armed groups for eight days.

More than a week on since the violence erupted on the streets of Tripoli, the authorities and humanitarian agencies are beginning to count the cost of this latest rival militia conflict.

At least 47 people have been killed, and 1,800 families have since been internally displaced according to Libyan officials.

In times of conflict, Libyans often seek shelter with friends or family who live in what are deemed as safer areas of the capital.

However, the indiscriminate nature of some of the heavy firepower used, including medium and long-range ground missiles, puts everyone at risk.

Some schools have also been used as temporary shelters this past week, according to local residents.

The Libyan authorities also say that over 2,000 distress calls were made to emergency services.

The UN has described the situation as volatile, and unpredictable, making it hard for humanitarian agencies to reach people trapped by the fighting.