Tripoli, Libya (BBN) - The Secretary-General's special adviser for post conflict planning in Libya, Ian Martin, arrived in the Libya capital, Tripoli, on Saturday and began discussions with representatives of the country's interim authorities on the form of assistance the transitional body will require.
Mr. Martin's mission to Tripoli for talks with the National Transitional Council (NTC) follows the International Conference in Support of the New Libya in Paris on Thursday when Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pledged the United Nations continued assistance to Libya tackle its humanitarian challenges and build a democratic and stable nation.
Mr. Ban told the gathering in Paris that the immediate challenge is on the humanitarian front, with some 860,000 people having left the country since February, when opposition forces rose up against the regime of Colonel Muammar al-Qadhafi as part of a wider pro-democracy movement across North Africa and the Middle East, a UN statement said.
In addition, public services are under severe strain, including hospitals and clinics and there is a major water shortage, as sporadic fighting continues, particularly in the country's south.
The Secretary-General had on Thursday announced Mr. Martin's trip to Tripoli to begin laying the ground work for UN operations there.
BBN/SSR/SI-04Sept11-2:18 pm (BST)