More direct and indirect aid arrived or was pledged to help Libya in its post-Storm Daiel disaster recovery. The OPEC Fund for International Development (the OPEC Fund) pledged US$500,000 aid grant on Tuesday while a plane from Indonesia arrived at Benghazi’s Benina airport on Monday carrying 45 tons of humanitarian aid.
The OPEC Fund’s US$ 500,000
The OPEC Fund’s US$ 500,000 aid grant is to provide urgent and medium-term relief to the affected population by meeting essential needs such as food, clean water, shelter, as well as protection and prevention measures. The grant will be channelled through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the operations of the Libyan Red Crescent Society (LRCS) and deliver assistance on the ground.
OPEC Fund Director-General Abdulhamid Alkhalifa said: “Our hearts go out to the people of Libya who have endured unimaginable suffering due to this devastating storm. In close collaboration with the international community, we hope to provide essential support to those in need and to assist in the recovery from this disaster.”
The grant is designed to provide immediate assistance to the most affected regions and the most vulnerable members of the population, including families, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
Libya is a founding member of the OPEC Fund
It will be noted that Libya is a founding member of the OPEC Fund and as such not eligible for OPEC Fund support with the exception of emergency grants. In the aftermath of the floods, Libya emphasized the need for additional medical personnel and urgent medical assistance and appealed to the international community and humanitarian actors for support.
Indonesia’s 45 tons of humanitarian aid
The Indonesian government’s 45 tons of humanitarian assistance to Libya in the form of logistical support is divided into 27 types of logistics worth more than 1 million dollars, the Indonesian embassy informed Libya Herald.
The aid sent included refugee tents, family tents, generators, beds, children’s and adult clothing, shrouds, body bags, solar lamps, as well as ready-to-eat food and children’s milk.
A delegation accompanied the aid, led by Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Chief Secretary Utama Rustian, accompanied by representatives from relevant ministries and institutions in Indonesia. Rustian signed a handover document with the Secretary General of the Red Crescent Benghazi region, Omer Ali Budabous.
The Indonesian embassy said Budabous said that the presence of the Indonesian delegation and its assistance was very meaningful for the people affected by the disaster in Libya, especially Derna. He expressed his gratitude to the Indonesian people and the Indonesian Government for their concern for the Libyan people.
