Officials from the United Nations World Food Programme and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs have held talks with the eastern port city of Benghazi's mayor Abdel Rahman al-Abbar how the UN can best help the turmoil-wracked country, WFP said in a statement.
WFP also met with the Port of Benghazi Maritime Authority to discuss issues relating to the port - a critical entry point for the food and other humanitarian commodities entering Libya, where ongoing conflict and instability makes it hard to for the vulnerable to meet their basic needs, the UN agency said.
“WFP and Benghazi have strong historical ties,” said WFP Country Director in Libya, Samer AbdelJaber after the meetings.
“The port here provided a crucial corridor for bringing humanitarian assistance for people affected by the emergencies in Sudan and Chad. We now hope to make use of it to assist vulnerable peoples within Libya itself while, at the same time, helping to build the capacity of the local municipality.”
Abbar and AbdelJaber discussed needs in the region, including the expansion of partnerships with NGOs and ways in which WFP can help provide food assistance via electronic food vouchers. The two officials also talked about launching school meals programme for children, WFP said.
“As the situation in Libya changes, so must our response,” AbdelJaber stated.
“WFP is reshaping its operation in the country, with initiatives designed to support families in need, strengthening social safety nets and starting livelihoods activities, while continuing to provide emergency food assistance," he said.
The conflict-hit area of Benghazi has been notoriously challenging to access, making it difficult for much-needed assistance to enter safely, WFP said. To get around these difficulties, WFP is working with Tunisian and Libyan authorities to launch its humanitarian air service (UNHAS) to allow regular flights from Tunisia to various locations in Libya, including Benghazi.
Due to conflict and political instability, WFP, along with the rest of the UN support mission in Libya has been based in Tunisia since 2014. WFP was able to open an office in Tripoli in February amid an improving security situation.
