Libya - USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) has donated USD 1 million to support IOM’s humanitarian assistance to vulnerable internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Libya.

During the 12 month-project: Humanitarian Assistance Through the Provision of Non-food Items and Hygiene Kits to Vulnerable Internally Displaced Persons in Libya, 6,200 IDPs or 1,240 families will receive direct assistance.

Based on the needs assessment, IOM will provide a variety of kits tailored to meet specific needs, including hygiene kits, baby kits, kitchen sets, resettlement kits and winterization kits.

The top reported needs are mattresses, blankets and kitchen items, followed by winterization items such as warm clothes and portable heaters.

The hygiene items most commonly requested, because they are difficult to obtain due to high prices across all regions, are baby diapers, soap, washing powder and disinfection products.

Following the distribution, post-distribution surveys will be regularly conducted to collect data on the satisfaction level of the beneficiaries and to register unmet needs.

“This new funding will provide critical relief supplies – including kitchen sets, hygiene kits, baby supplies, mattresses, warm clothes, and portable heaters – to the thousands of men, women, and children who have fled the ongoing conflict in Sirte,” said US Ambassador to Libya Peter W. Bodde.

IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix, which is a vital source of information on the displacement movements and mobility patterns across Libya, has identified 348,372 internally displaced persons in the country.

The civil unrest and ongoing armed conflict in Libya has had significant impact on local populations, especially in the major cities such as Tripoli, Misrata and Benghazi and in places experiencing an escalation of violence such as Sirte. The fighting is affecting the infrastructure and placing strain on livelihood opportunities, which leaves displaced Libyan families in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

For further information, please contact IOM Libya. Othman Belbeisi, Tel: +216 29 600389, Email: obelbeisi@iom.int or Antonio Salanga, Tel: +216 29 808929, Email: asalanga@iom.int