WFP delivers 1,300 tons of food to 4956 Internally Displaced families in the East and West of Libya

22 Dec 2015

WFP delivers 1,300 tons of food to 4956 Internally Displaced families in the East and West of Libya

22 December 2015- The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Libya, Mr. Ali Al-Za’tari, expressed gratitude to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and to WFP’s implementing partner in Libya, Shaik Tahir Azzawy Charity Organization, for the starting the distribution of approximately 1,300 tons of food items to Libyan communities in dire need of food assistance. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator is also very grateful to the Tunisian Government for facilitating the passage of a convoy of WFP food-carrying trucks through the Dhhiba border crossing point. The distribution will reach in the coming weeks 4956 internally displaced families within different areas of Libya.

The recently launched Libya Humanitarian Response Plan identified 2.44 million people in need of protection and some form of humanitarian assistance - including 435,000 Internally Displaced Persons – those are acute basic needs in the health, food, protection, shelter and water and sanitation sectors. Of the 2.44 million, 1.3 million Libyans are food insecure”, Mr. Al-Za’tari stated. The UN World Food Programme requires USD 47.7 million to be able to fulfill its plan to reach the most affected in 2016 estimated at 210,000 persons. “We are worried about the dire humanitarian situation in Libya, if adequate funding is not allocated to respond to those in need. So far our Humanitarian Response Plan for 2016 is zero-funded. It is not an acceptable situation. The Libyan government and the international community need to recognize the current and future enormity of the Libyan humanitarian crisis if funding is not received on time and in volume”, said the Humanitarian Coordinator.