London, April 06: The United Nations has increased its aid appeal for Libya to almost twice the previous level “to provide relief to over 1.5 million people affected by the conflict” in the North African country.
“The fund appeal of $160 million has been updated to reach over $310 million,” AFP quoted Elisabeth Byrs, spokeswoman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), as saying on Tuesday.
The UN official added that “the funds would be used to provide relief to over 1.5 million people affected by the conflict, including more than 400,000 refugees.”
“OCHA has received 70 percent of financing for its first appeal launched three weeks ago,” she said.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had earlier announced that since the beginning of the crisis in Libya, over 380,000 people had fled the North African country, as fighting between forces loyal to embattled Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi and the revolutionaries intensified.
The UN has also appealed to both sides to provide safe access to Libyan migrants returning to their country.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has also renewed its plea for Libya funds.
The IOM has announced it has “no more money for humanitarian evacuations” of people who have fled from Libya to neighboring countries such as Egypt and Tunisia.
——–Agencies