By AFP More by this AuthorTripoliThe United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme (WFP) announced Tuesday a joint initiative to feed up to 10,000 refugees and asylum seekers trapped in war-torn Libya amid the coronavirus pandemic. STRANDED IN LIBYATens of thousands of refugees and asylum seekers, as well as sub-Saharan African and Asian migrants hoping to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, are stranded in Libya in horrifying conditions. The situation of refugees and asylum seekers became more critical after eastern military strongman Khalifa Haftar launched an assault on Tripoli in 2019, and was further compounded by the coronavirus pandemic. "Many refugees say that they are only able to afford to eat one meal a day," the UN agencies said. "The help we're providing under this project... will be a lifesaver for some of the most vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers in urban areas," said Jean-Paul Cavalieri, UNHCR's chief of mission in Libya.

Source: Daily Nation June 17, 2020 03:56 UTC