Fishing vessel takes much-needed food, medicine supplies to Libya

A big consignment of food, water and medicine is expected to reach Tripoli today aboard a Libyan fishing vessel that left Malta yesterday afternoon.

The Al Entisar is ferrying €100,000 worth of goods donated by the German Embassy in Malta apart from other items provided by Maltese people and several organisations. The consignment includes baby food, nappies and pasta.

German Ambassador Hubert Ziegler, who was at the quay during the loading operation, said he was glad that his country was using Malta as a humanitarian hub to help the Libyan people. All the goods sent to Libya were bought in Malta, he noted. He thanked the Civil Protection Department and the Office of the Prime Minister for helping his embassy coordinate the humanitarian mission. I Go Aid Foundation also helped by providing the ship that has made about 30 trips to Libya since the uprising started in February.

“This is how the concept of humanitarian hub works. You have several stakeholders working together to help out,” CPD director Patrick Murgo said. So far, he added, the Maltese government had sent over 600 tons of water and about 500 blankets to Libya apart from food and medicines.