The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday it was sending 600 tons of food and 500 tons of water to the Libyan capital Tripoli to aid civilians affected by the conflict in western Libya.
The Rome-based agency said the flour, pasta, oil and tomato paste would be distributed by the Libyan Red Crescent in Tripoli, coastal areas and the Nafusa Mountains and would be enough to feed 35,500 people for one month.
It also said that a WFP ship carrying 500,000 litres of water had left Malta bound for Tripoli and that it was looking to procure 250,000 tons of gasoline "that would cover immediate life-saving humanitarian needs for one month."
Fuel supplies have been disrupted by the fighting, and water and electricity supplies depend on fuel-run generators. Fuel is also required for hospitals, ambulances and vehicles to distribute critically needed supplies.
The WFP last week supplied 500 tons of aid to Gheryan and surrounding towns in northwest Libya, where it said around 200,000 people are in need of food.
It said it had also delivered 495 tons of food to the Zliten area and was preparing to send 100 tons to the coastal city of Zuwarah.