Libya faces critical shortages of drinking water, food, fuel and medicine, the United Nations humanitarian co-ordinator for the country has said.
The six-month conflict between rebels and Muammar Gadafy’s forces has disrupted supply lines and damaged infrastructure.
Panos Moumtzis said more than half a dozen UN agencies have returned to Tripoli to address the country’s humanitarian needs since fighting in the capital waned last week.
Mr Moumtzis said the UN has brought in 11 million bottles of water and will bring in 600 metric tons of food and €100 million worth of medicine.
He said, however, that he sees the UN aid as temporary, and that he expects oil-rich Libya to be able fund its own recovery starting in 2012.
Meanwhile, the European Union lifted sanctions on Libyan ports, oil firms and banks today as foreign ministers met to discuss how to help the country's transition from four decades of Gadafy rule.
The EU's Official Journal listed 28 Libyan entities freed from restrictions, including the ports of Tripoli, Al Khoms, Brega, Ras Lanuf, Zawiyah and Zuara. Also listed were Libyan Arab Airlines and energy firms including the Ras Lanuf Oil and Gas Processing Co and the Sirte and Waha oil companies. Banks listed were the National Commercial Bank, Gumhouria Bank, Sahara Bank and First Gulf Libyan Bank.
The formal lifting of the sanctions came a day after world powers meeting in Paris freed up $15 billion to help Libya's new rulers rebuild the nation after 42 years of Muammar Gadafy’s rule and six months of civil war.
European Union foreign ministers meeting in the Polish seaside resort of Sopot today and tomorrow were to discuss how to help to stabilise Libya after the conflict.
Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski said the United Nations would have a leading role in helping to demilitarise Libya and ensure safety after the conflict ends, but Europe had shown it has capabilities in this area.
"The way the EU will assist to Libya depends firstly on what the Libyan authorities want," he said.
"We have a trust credit among the new authorities and we will want to use it to support peaceful transformation towards a democracy in Libya," he said, adding that Libya was a valuable ally for Europe. "Libya is potentially a wealthy country, key because of Europe's drive to diversify energy sources.”
In the Paris talks with Libya's National Transitional Council, France, Britain and other powers vowed to keep up their military backing as long as needed but said the focus was now on reconstruction.
French president Nicolas Sarkozy told a news conference a total of $15 billion would be freed out of the Libyan assets frozen under sanctions. The figure included $3 billion the UN Sanctions Committee has approved for release in the United States and Britain and $1.5 billion in France.
It also includes €2.6 billion of assets in Italy, €1 billion in Germany and €700 million in the Netherlands.
Agencies