UN: Libya's Bani Walid, Sirte still unaccessible
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Xinhua, September 27, 2011
Humanitarian assistance led by the United Nations still could not get access to the Libyan city of Bani Walid and Sirte, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Libya Panos Moumtzis said Monday.
Forces loyal to the National Transitional Council (NTC) has continued their assaults on the two besieged pro-Gaddafi strongholds.
"We are extremely concerned about civilian people being caught up in the middle of the conflict regardless of which side its coming," Moumtzis told reporters.
The United Nations is currently mobilizing humanitarian assistance, including food and medical supplies to the outskirts of the two cities and assisting civilians who fled out.
It is estimated that around 24,000 people have left Bani Walid and another 1,700 have fled Sirte since fighting intensified in mid-August.
In other parts of Libya, medical treatment for over 50,000 war injuries and assistance to people with war-related disabilities as well as mental problems have become priorities for humanitarian actors.
Meanwhile, the funding appeal for humanitarian actions in Libya is still largely unmet. At present, the Flash Appeal put up by the world body is funded at 61.4 percent, with 250 million U.S. dollars received out of the 407 million requested.
Moumtzis said part of the 1.5-billion-dollar overseas assets of the Gaddafi regime frozen by the United States could be reallocated for humanitarian purposes in Libya.
