Tens of thousands of Libyans may be on move: UN

GENEVA: Fighting in eastern Libya may have displaced tens of thousands of people and severely disrupted basic services and food supply lines, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

The world body also said in a report that there was a high level of uncertainty over the current humanitarian situation in Libya, where Western air strikes began at the weekend.

More than 335,600 people have fled Libya, mainly to Tunisia and Egypt, since the beginning of the crisis.

"The situation of civilians in and around Ajdabiya, Misrata and other locations where active fighting continues remains of grave concern," said the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

At least 45 people, including civilians and children, were killed in fighting in the western rebel-held town of Misrata on Monday and Tuesday, and a further 189 were injured, OCHA said.

It quoted rebel forces as saying the situation in Misrata was critical, "as there is no water, fuel or electricity".

People in towns under attack may need supplies as services and food supply lines have been disrupted, according to the report produced by OCHA and other U.N. aid agencies.

"Medical needs in Libya are on the rise due to the recent fighting and are exacerbated by shortages of medical staff."

"There are unconfirmed reports of an additional 80,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) within Libya," it said.

Aid agencies said on Tuesday that Libyans increasingly lack access to medical care and life-saving drugs, and food prices are rocketing as the conflict deepens.

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said Western powers attacking Libya will end up in the dustbin of history as his troops held back rebels despite four nights of air strikes.

While Western air power has grounded Gaddafi's warplanes and pushed back his forces from the brink of rebel stronghold Benghazi, disorganised and poorly equipped insurgents have failed to capitalise on the ground and remain pinned down.

The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR also reported cases of sub-Saharan migrant women being raped and kidnapped by Libyans and Nigerian men suspected of being pro-Gaddafi mercenaries being assassinated by rebel forces.