UN conducts first inter-agency mission in the Nafusa Mountains

(The Nafusa Mountains, Libya /New York, 1 July 2011): The United Nations today concluded its first inter-agency mission inside the Nafusa Mountains in Libya. The UN team visited the towns of Wazin and Nalut on Thursday and Jadu and Zintan on Friday. The mission looked primarily into issues of safety and humanitarian access to respond to the humanitarian needs of the affected civilian population.

The Humanitarian Coordinator for Libya, Panos Moumtzis, welcomed the completion of the mission. “The humanitarian situation in the Nafusa Mountains remains a top concern,” he said. “It remains imperative for UN humanitarian organisations to have continued access to the Nafusa Mountains to conduct in-depth assessment missions to accurately and impartially determine the needs of the affected population and respond accordingly.”

The conflict in Libya has spread to several towns in the Nafusa Mountains. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reports that more than 100,000 people have fled the fighting in the Nafusa Mountains since the Libyan crisis began four months ago. They remain internally displaced, while more than 64,000 people from the area are now refugees in Tunisia.

Inter-agency mission members observed the wide destruction of property in the border town of Wazin, where the vast majority of the population had fled due to recurrent shelling of the town. In Nalut and other areas in the Nafusa Mountains, the mission noted the limited power and water supplies and heard concerns voiced by local community heads of fast depleting food supplies, little cash left, no jobs and no functioning markets.

The UN inter-agency mission was comprised of OCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF and WFP. The team represents the cluster of food security, logistics, protection, and water, sanitation and hygiene and coordination. OCHA coordinated with international NGOs operating in the area several of which have been providing humanitarian assistance including basic food supplies and specialized medical aid to affected people in the Nafusa Mountains.

“Food needs for the Nafusa Mountains remain serious,” said WFP’s Ussama Osman. “The vast majority of the affected population now relies on food assistance. WFP will continue to provide food aid to the civilians who need it most in the area,” he added.

UNICEF expressed concerns over the humanitarian situation facing children in the Nafusa Mountains, particularly with respect to health, access to clean water, protection and education. UNICEF with its partners will ensure child vaccination including the timely provision of vaccines and cold chain maintenance.

UNHCR is looking into future repatriation plans for the eventual voluntary return of the thousands of Libyan refugees when the security situation permits. UNHCR will be assessing conditions in the Nafusa Mountains to determine prospects for return, and identify protection and humanitarian gaps.