News

ROME/NEW YORK/HONG KONG, 7 April 2011 – A eakthrough for the UN humanitarian operation in Libya has allowed us to reach tens of thousands of people who are caught in the Libyan conflict.

World Food Programme (WFP) chartered vessel, Marianne Danica, docked in Misrata carrying more than 600 metric tonnes of food including wheat flour, vegetable oil and High Energy Biscuits – enough to feed more than 40,000 people for a month.

The ship is also delivering medical supplies, health kits and surgical materials on behalf of UNICEF and the World Health Organization, covering the urgent needs for 50,000 people for a month, along with materials to enable thousands of children to play in the relative safety of indoors. Two doctors are on board and will disembark at Misrata. Once offloaded, the cargo will be delivered to the main hospital in Misrata.

“The situation is urgent for tens of thousands of children in Misrata and across Libya, who are potential victims of the fighting or who have already paid a terrible price,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake. “These supplies are a lifeline to them and all those trapped in the fighting.”

As the lead logistics and telecommunications agency in the UN humanitarian system, WFP is providing transport and communications support for the entire humanitarian community in Libya. As part of a US$42 million (HK$327.6 million)emergency operation providing food assistance to more than 1 million people in Libya and neighbouring country, 16,500 metric tons of food stocks has been prepositioned inside the country.

Working with partners like the Libyan Red Crescent, WFP plans to provide food to more than 600,000 people inside Libya over the next three months.