The UN special envoy to Libya has called for an immediate end to violence and unfettered access by relief workers to people in need, a UN spokesman said Tuesday, dpa reported
Abdul Ilah Khatib, a former Jordanian foreign minister, arrived in Tripoli Monday and on Tuesday held talks with Libya government officials to begin his mission of seeking an end of the fighting and protection of civilian population.
Spokesman Martin Nesirky said in New York that Khatib met with Libyan Foreign Minister Musa Kuna upon arrival in Tripoli to demand also that authorities there cooperate with the UN commission of inquiry on alleged human rights violations, including the killing of over 1,000 people by Libyan armed forces.
The commission was sent by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
"The special envoy requested that the Libyan government allow unfettered access to all relevant UN agencies in order to be able to assist the Libyan people and alleviate the suffering of those affected," Nesirky said.
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Libya, Rashid Khalikov, was also in Tripoli, leading a team of relief agencies seeking to assess the humanitarian needs in the country.
In the meantime, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees requested a safe passage for people trying to flee the fighting but were prevented from doing so. The UN said about 300,000 people have fled Libya, most of them to Tunisia and Egypt.
"We appeal again to all parties to ensure safe passage for all civilians fleeing violence," UNHCR spokesperson Melissa Fleming said in Geneva. "Typically, we would expect to see significant numbers of injured people and women and children in a mass displacement of this nature, but so far our staff at the borders with Egypt and Tunisia have seen very few."
UNHCR said sub-Saharan nationals living in Libya's eastern and western parts have been trapped by the fighting and have appealed for help to leave the country