Britain will provide emergency shelter for more than 10,000 people driven out of their homes by ongoing fighting in Libya.
As a matter of urgency, 2,100 tents will be flown out from U.K. stocks in Dubai to provide potentially life-saving shelter during cold desert nights, the International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell has announced.
The tents will be distributed by the Libyan Red Crescent to those most in need — including women, children and the sick — particularly around the Ajdabiya area in the conflict-affected north-east of Libya.
In addition, Britain is providing a humanitarian adviser to join a Turkish/U.K./U.S. humanitarian planning team based in Ankara that will help to address emerging and urgent needs in Libya.
Andrew Mitchell, International Development Secretary, said: “As fighting continues in Libya, we need to ensure that the most vulnerable get the protection they need. That means shelter for those who suddenly find themselves driven out of their homes and often cut off from friends and family in their own country.
“It’s also about ensuring that we continue to provide help to poor migrant workers having to flee Libya, and that we get people in place to look at ongoing needs and how best we can meet them.”
This latest British support follows ongoing humanitarian assistance over the last month including: Funding for the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is providing support for up to 100,000 people for basic necessities, and medical supplies and treatment to 3000 people affected by the ongoing fighting in Libya.
