World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

TRIPOLI -- In Libya, the UN food agency is not only providing food assistance but plays a vital role in insuring that relief supplies and aid workers get where they need to be.

As the designated lead agency for logistics, WFP-contracted boats and trucks carry life-saving medicines, drinking water, tents, kitchen utensils, fuel and a host of other non-food items that humanitarian agencies need to help crisis-affected Libyan families.

WFP moves this urgent food assistance and other relief supplies through different corridors by road from Tunisia and by sea into the main ports along Libya’s Mediterranean coastline.

United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) flights carrying aid workers and donors into the country have been operated by WFP since May this year, as commercial flights have been unable to fly into Libya. The planes have occasionally also carried urgent humanitarian cargo to otherwise inaccessible locations. Over 150 organizations have used this air service, as well as a passenger service on WFP chartered vessels.

Through the WFP-led Emergency Telecommunications Cluster, telecommunications systems are established in Tripoli and Benghazi allowing UN and non-governmental agencies to maintain 24-hour radio communications and ensure data connectivity. This is both important for day-to-day operations as well as staff safety.

“WFP’s decades of experience in logistics as the largest humanitarian agency in the world makes it uniquely positioned to get humanitarian aid to people in Libya,” said Daly Belgasmi, WFP’s Regional Director for the Middle East, Central Asia and Eastern Europe.

Innovative logistics services

As usual, WFP logistics has not limited itself to business in Libya. In an innovative move, the merchant ships carrying food, vehicles and other relief items, were put to good use carrying passengers as well, moving aid workers between coastal cities in Libya.

In October, WFP started a courier service for documents and small parcels into Tripoli, Benghazi and other areas via Malta.

As soon as it was feasible, WFP arranged for the first time since the conflict broke out to ship food directly to Tripoli using commercial shipping lines rather than the special chartered vessels. This was done to help boost confidence in the reopening of Tripoli port and direct trade with Libya, with an eye on a quick return to normalcy.

Food still needed

Since September WFP has accelerated food dispatches to those who are fleeing conflict, as well as for stranded migrant workers, people in displaced camps, and particularly vulnerable Libyan families. The UN agency has also been strategically pre-positioning food in the country and at the border to meet new pockets of emergency needs, as they arise.

WFP has now reached more than one million people in Libya with food assistance and has pre-positioned 6,000 metric tons of food stocks inside the country for immediate needs. Since food distributions began in March, WFP’s regional emergency operation has provided food assistance to more than 1.3 million people in Libya and neighbouring Tunisia and Egypt. WFP is operating at a shortfall of US$50 million to continue food assistance through the end of the year and to provide logistics and telecommunications services.