Libya | World Food Programme

More than a decade after the 2011 Arab Spring and the subsequent civil war in Libya, years of political instability have left the country in a fragile state of transition to peace and stability.

To contribute to Libya's long-term recovery, peace and stability, the World Food Programme (WFP) address the needs of the most vulnerable communities – through emergency food assistance, sustainable-livelihood programmes and school-meal activities.

At the same time, WFP supports the Government in strengthening national systems to meet the food and other basic needs of vulnerable people.

WFP is working on a smooth transition from direct assistance to resilience-building activities, supporting the progressive development of sustainable food systems.

Since September 2023, Libya has been grappling with the aftermath of Storm Daniel, which devastated eastern Libya and caused mass displacement.

Furthermore, as the conflict in Sudan continues, displaced people are increasingly seeking refuge and assistance in Libya, with the border city of Al Kufra receiving the largest number of refugees. In response, WFP works with UN agencies and the authorities on access and overall support to meet growing humanitarian needs.

In addition, WFP has built partnerships with the Government of Libya, international organizations, local NGOs and civil society partners, the private sector, academia, research institutes, peacebuilding institutes and donor communities.

WFP also provides on-demand services such as logistics support, which helps UN partners reach and serve those people who depend on their support.

What the World Food Programme is doing in Libya

Food assistance: WFP assists food-insecure and vulnerable people, including internally displaced people, returnees, persons of concern and refugees, based on their food insecurity and vulnerability status. WFP provides food or cash-based transfers.
School meals: In partnership with the Ministry of Education, WFP launched the School Feeding Programme in Libya in 2019. Since then, coverage has been expanded to reach 70,000 schoolchildren, while also providing several social services including employment opportunities. WFP is also providing technical support to the ministry to implement the National School Feeding Programme which targets schoolchildren across Libya. In 2022, under an agreement with the Ministry of Education, WFP launched a Central Kitchen project in Benghazi to provide nutritious school meals, which was extended to Tawergha in December 2022 and to Derna in December 2023, following Storm Daniel. In 2023 and 2024, WFP also partnered with the Ministry of Education to provide daily meals to 2,500 children in an additional nine schools in the western and southern regions, supporting the Ministry of Education's Full Education Day initiative.
Resilience and livelihoods: Designed together with local partners and communities, WFP’s food assistance for training activities increase household resilience by providing vulnerable people with vocational-skills training aligned to the needs of local job markets. In addition, participants' business management skills are developed, while basic equipment is provided for distinguished graduates to start small projects.
Humanitarian coordination and common services: WFP manages a UN facility in Benghazi that supports the humanitarian community with safe working areas, accommodation and reliable connectivity. The hub has 16 accommodation rooms and office space for 40 staff, with plans to expand.
Research assessment and monitoring: WFP enables a targeted and coordinated response through steps such as sharing vulnerability analysis mapping bulletins with humanitarian and development partners, and conducting food security and social protection surveys among refugees and non-Libyan vulnerable groups. WFP is also working with the Government, other agencies and NGOs on food security monitoring, multisectoral needs assessments, publication of local market price monitoring, and assessments in resilience, nutrition and other areas.