Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Forshaw for his question. Notwithstanding the recent international intervention, the situation for the people of Libya remains very grim. More than 300,000 people have fled Libya since mid-February, many of them across Libya’s borders with Tunisia and Egypt. The United Nations World Food Programme has boosted its activities in the region and is providing more than 15,000 hot meals a day in a transit camp along Libya’s border with Tunisia. Australia strongly supports the request by the United Nations for humanitarian agencies to be allowed access to all parts of Libya in order to assist the civilian population and alleviate the suffering of those affected. In supporting the United Nations resolutions, which also strengthen arms embargoes against Libya, the Australian government is focused on providing the best possible protection to the citizens of Libya.