UNHCR distributes aid to displaced families in Libya

Tripoli, April 5 (IANS) The UN Refugee Agency said it has distributed aid to 200 displaced families living in eastern Libya.

The UNHCR and partner LibAid (Libyan Humanitarian Relief Agency) have provided those items to the nearly 950 Tawergha refugees in settlements in Ejdabia, 150 km south of Benghazi, Xinhua news agency reported.

"With this last distribution, UNHCR and LibAid have completed the distribution of winter assistance in eastern Libya, reaching out to 1,146 displaced Libyan families," the UN agency said.

The items include mattresses, blankets, winter clothing, footwear, kitchen sets, solar lamps, school bags, and electric heaters, it added.

During the 2011 uprising, some residents of Tawergha allied with the forces of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi against the rebels in the nearby Misurata City.

They fled to other cities in Libya after Gaddafi's regime was toppled.

Since the fall of Gaddafi's regime in 2011, Libya has been suffering political instability and continuous armed conflict, forcing hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee their homes to other cities and towns.

In 2020, the number of internally displaced persons (IDP) in Libya decreased from 355,672 individuals in 2019 to 278,177, a reduction of 77,495 people, according to the UNHCR.

Presently, the highest number of IDPs continue are in Tripoli (53,155) followed by Benghazi (38,330) and Misrata (34,520).