1. 1 WFP Situation Update, North Africa Crisis
North Africa Crisis Update
31 January 2012
Highlights
 Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya, Mr. Ian Martin, briefed the Security Council this week
and re-affirmed the interim government’s commitment to address challenges during this transitional period.
WFP will continue to provide food assistance to vulnerable pockets throughout Libya, an important factor in
helping to stabilize still fragile areas.
 Due to the increased quantities distributed in new areas such as Sirte, Bani Walid, and Libya’s southern regions
during the last months, WFP has now provided over 1.4 million people in Libya with around 25,000 MT of food
since the operations started in March 2011.
 A heightened level of insecurity, due to recent clashes in Bani Walid and some other areas in the south and
west, has delayed some food dispatches over the past two weeks.
Situation Update
 While food remains generally available in markets, access issues continue to threaten the food security of some
vulnerable populations. Liquidity remains problematic and some salaries are still not being paid. The lack of cash,
coupled with higher food prices, remains a concern for vulnerable families to purchase food required in stores.
 A pilot voucher programme, where targeted beneficiaries can exchange a WFP voucher in local markets for food
commodities, is being rolled out this month in Benghazi, starting with 2,000 families next week and expanding to
10,000 families in the coming months. WFP plans to extend this pilot programme to some other areas of the
country, as deemed appropriate.
 As humanitarian needs have evolved in Libya over the last few months, WFP is scaling down general food
distributions. WFP will continue to provide food in the coming months to cover mostly pockets of remaining
humanitarian needs in Libya, mainly of the displaced, returnees and other conflict-affected populations (about
300,000 beneficiaries per month). This is to ensure that those still affected can be food secure until the social
support systems, the economy, and banking systems fully recover.
WFP Response
 A pilot voucher project is expected to start in Benghazi in February to eventually replace food distributions, and
will be expanded as conditions and funding permits. The project will be rolled out in coordination with Libya’s
humanitarian arm LibAid, local Zakat, as well as NGO partners LRC and the Boy-scouts. LRC monitoring support
staff have already been trained.
 Food assistance continues in all seven of Benghazi’s IDP camps and with the host families. The total number of
IDPs in camps and with host families has now reached 13,460 individuals. The camps are housing displaced
persons who fled fighting and conflict in and around Tawergha and Sirte. While fighting has ceased in Tawergha
and Sirte, these areas are still undergoing major recovery and conditions of the homes of some IDPs are
unknown. With the assistance of Mercy Corps, WFP also supports the delivery of 16,000 loaves of fresh bread
per day to six of the seven camps in the area.
 More than 1,100 mt of food assistance have been dispatched this month for Sirte and Misrata, enough for some
93,000 IDPs, returnees, TCNs and vulnerable individuals in these areas. Inside Sirte city alone, the planned total
includes support to 52,000 beneficiaries. Distributions are ongoing in partnership with ACTED and LRC. WFP food
commodities being distributed through ACTED and LRC will be complemented with breakfast foods from LibAid.
 In and around Bani Walid the Local Council and Relief Committee carried out a month long distribution cycle of
WFP food to around 40,000 IDPs, returnees and other vulnerable groups in December/January. Security issues in
Bani Walid are delaying some of the dispatches this month, which are to support another round of distributions
to the same population.
 WFP continues to provide food for over 30,000 IDPs and other vulnerable groups in Tripoli through LRC and
LibAid. WFP is also regularly supplying food through UNHCR and Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) for around 1,200
TCNs living in camps in Tripoli.

2. 2 WFP Situation Update, North Africa Crisis
 Around 23,300 individuals are being assisted with WFP food in seven areas within the Nafusa Mountain region -
Bader, Tiji, El Joush, Al Badarne, Awlad Mahmoud, Qmata, and Hawamid. A mission to the Nafusa Mountain
area, which concluded in early December 2011, found that assistance continues to be needed for the most
vulnerable groups, which include those with low income, large families, those who lost assets and sources of
income such as livestock and businesses, displaced families and those who lost breadwinners in the conflict.
 Dispatches to eight locations in Libya’s southern areas are ongoing, of 1,500 mt of food, to assist some 95,000
beneficiaries. In four of the locations dispatches have already arrived, but security concerns are delaying
dispatches to the remaining final destinations, where further risk mitigating measures need to be put in place.
 Through the Union Tunisienne de Solidarité Sociale (UTSS), WFP reached 125,905 Tunisian returning migrant
workers and other vulnerable households between May 2011 and through the end of December 2011. Activities
under the EMOP with UTSS have since finalized.
 Another round of WFP food distributions to Libyan refugees in Tunisia’s southern governorates will begin this
week, to be provided through UNHCR for 2,000 individuals.
 As almost all Libyan refugees in Tunisia have returned to their homes in Libya, while the number of TCNs has
dropped to around 4,000 individuals, WFP is planning to close its operations and office in southern Tunisia at the
end of February 2012.
 The Logistics Cluster cell in Tripoli continues with its coordination and advisory role and the next Logistics Cluster
meeting is planned on 1 February 2012. ETC continues to provide support to UN and NGO agencies for voice and
data connectivity in Benghazi and Tripoli.
Resource Update
 In response to the crisis in Libya, WFP launched a regional emergency operation (EMOP 200257) for Libya,
Tunisia, and Egypt in March, to support over 1.5 million people. Since the beginning of operations, WFP
mobilized US$51.5 million, of which US$37.2 million is for Libya alone. The generous donations have permitted
WFP to meet the needs of returnees and those refugees and TCNs fleeing Libya for Tunisia and Egypt, as well as
IDPs, TCNs, and other vulnerable groups in Libya.
 A Special Operation for Logistics and Emergency Telecommunications (SO 200261) augments the logistics and
telecommunications capacity of the humanitarian community. Since the beginning of operations, the SO has
received donations amounting to US$5.2 million.
Contacts
Zlatan Milisic
North Africa Emergency Coordinator
Regional Bureau for Middle East, North Africa,
Central Asia
and Eastern Europe (ODC)
Mob: +218917126814
Abeer Etefa
Senior Regional Public Information Officer
Regional Bureau for Middle East, North Africa,
Central Asia
and Eastern Europe (ODC)
Mob: +20166634352