World Food Programme Delivers Food Assistance to Libya.

Tunis, 31 January 2016(Lana) UN World Food Programme has started providing food assistance to the Libyan eastern region for the first time since June. The assistance covers food needs of 80.000 displaced people in and around Benghazi for 1 month, said Wajdi Othman, Head of the UN Food Programme branch in Libya. 'Libyans who fled their homes suffer harsh conditions as a result of the ongoing struggle particularly in Benghazi, including lack of food, medical treatment and electricity, they are desperate for help, Othman said. Food supplies were entered across the Egyptian border to warehouses of the Libyan Humanitarian Relief Agency over the last two weeks. The agency distributes them to needy families who fled their homes in Benghazi, the city affected most by the conflict ongoing for more than a year. The WFP in collaboration with the Libyan Relief Agency is planning to get assistance delivered to at least 70.000 a month in 2016, and that includes internal displaced, the hosting communities, refugees and refuge seekers. It also plans to expand its operations gradually in Libya as it gets more funding, to eventually reach 210.000 individuals by the last quarter of 2016. The programme depends on voluntary contributions to fund its development and humanitarian projects in 2016. It needs to amass about 29 million dollars in order to continue to be able to help the most vulnerable in the country. In 2015, WFP provided food assistance to more than 290.000 throughout Libya, but was forced to suspend the assistance as of September because of lack of funding. The World Food Programme is the biggest humanitarian organisation in the world, devoted to combat hunger. It offers food assistance to people in emergency situations, and works with local communities to provide food and enhance their capabilities to survive. It offers assistance to nearly 80 million individuals in 80 countries. =Lana=