UN aid group sees no need yet for military help in Libya work

Apr 15, 2011, 12:17 GMT

Geneva - The UN agency that coordinates humanitarian aid said Friday that it saw no need for military support for relief missions in Libya.

'Things are improving step by step. We are successful in bringing in food and medical equipment, there are more and more relief activities,' said Elizabeth Byrs, spokeswoman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

This potential needed to be exhausted before any military assistance could be foreseen - a 'worst case scenario' that did not exist yet, she said.

The EU is currently laying the groundwork for a military force to guard humanitarian operations in Libya. Ocha has requested that the EU take charge of such a project and EU foreign ministers prepared an operational plan this week for such a mission should an official request be made.

However, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has complained that while international agencies are preparing military assistance for aid projects, no such plans are being put in place for evacuations from Libya, primarily of foreign workers stuck amid the fighting.

The IOM estimates that, should fighting grow worse, a further 2 million people might want to flee Libya. There are 8,300 people alone waiting in Misurata harbour for boats to help them leave, said IOM spokesperson Jemini Pandya.

That figure was ratcheted up from previous estimates of 6,000 people at Misurata. Pandya noted that an aid ship had just docked, but would only be able to take 800 people. Additionally, there iwas only enough funding for two such missions.

Pandya said the IOM lacked about 100 million dollars for ship evacuations, terming the shortfall 'a situation we simply should not be in.'

Meanwhile, an International Red Cross team of experts on health, prisoners and logistics has arrived in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, after receiving proper clearances from local officials.

Read more about EU

Read more about Libya Conflict

Read more about UN