Libya’s civilian rebel council has pledged to distribute a small cash donation to families to help ease the rising costs of food during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
Abdul Hafiz al-Ghoga, deputy leader of the National Transitional Council, told a satellite channel that the handout was made possible by the unfreezing of assets in Turkey, a supporter of the rebel council.
France also said it was handing over $259m of Libyan assets to the National Transitional Council for “humanitarian purchases”. The announcement came after a meeting on Monday between Alain Juppé, the French foreign minister, and Mansour Sayf al-Nasr, the NTC’s new ambassador in Paris. Mr Nasr said the funds, frozen in French banks, “belong to the Libyan people” and would be used “for the purchase of medicines and food products”, as required by European law.
The rebel donation to families only amounts to 200-300 dinars ($300-$450 at market rates) per family, a fact that he said reflected the tough circumstances of a region at war. Many said the money would not go far as costs rise during this family-oriented festival.
With many state salaries unpaid and private sector workers taking pay cuts, families have been forced into a more modest Ramadan, when, despite the daytime fast, consumption normally rises as people eat much more after sunset.
The rebel-held east on Monday broke its first fast of Ramadan since the uprising against the regime of Colonel Muammer Gaddafi, but last week’s assassination of General Abdel Fattah Younes, its military commander, and ensuing fears of factionalism have cast a shadow over this important Islamic festival.
Banks are expected to distribute the promised payments but few were optimistic, saying funds had yet to return to the system. “There is no money in the vault – but let’s see if the Turkish money comes though, that could be a solution,” said Haifa al-Saefi, a bank teller in central Benghazi.
Residents have been lining up outside lenders amid rumours that bank liquidity will rise, allowing them to recover some of their savings. Nizar Mafraks, owner of Nizar Supermarket, said prices of domestic produce, such as meat, had only risen slightly. But some imported items, including staples such as powdered milk, have seen prices rise by two-thirds.
The war has cut off lines to a large tuna factory in Al Khums, forcing shops to import more expensive cans from Europe and Thailand, he said. Many Libyans mistrust foreign food, with one shopper saying the poor-quality tuna imports were “only good enough for the cat”. When asked the price of meat, quipped one shop assistant: “I don’t know, I only eat chicken now.”
Mr Mafraks was charged with “economic crimes” in 1996 by Col Gaddafi’s government, and only managed to avoid a jail sentence by paying a fine. “At least we don’t have that situation any more, the only thing now is to get rid of [Gaddafi] for good,” he said.
Abdul Hafiz al-Ghoga, deputy leader of the National Transitional Council, told a satellite channel that the handout was made possible by the unfreezing of assets in Turkey, a supporter of the rebel council.
France also said it was handing over $259m of Libyan assets to the National Transitional Council for “humanitarian purchases”. The announcement came after a meeting on Monday between Alain Juppé, the French foreign minister, and Mansour Sayf al-Nasr, the NTC’s new ambassador in Paris. Mr Nasr said the funds, frozen in French banks, “belong to the Libyan people” and would be used “for the purchase of medicines and food products”, as required by European law.
The rebel donation to families only amounts to 200-300 dinars ($300-$450 at market rates) per family, a fact that he said reflected the tough circumstances of a region at war. Many said the money would not go far as costs rise during this family-oriented festival.
With many state salaries unpaid and private sector workers taking pay cuts, families have been forced into a more modest Ramadan, when, despite the daytime fast, consumption normally rises as people eat much more after sunset.
The rebel-held east on Monday broke its first fast of Ramadan since the uprising against the regime of Colonel Muammer Gaddafi, but last week’s assassination of General Abdel Fattah Younes, its military commander, and ensuing fears of factionalism have cast a shadow over this important Islamic festival.
Banks are expected to distribute the promised payments but few were optimistic, saying funds had yet to return to the system. “There is no money in the vault – but let’s see if the Turkish money comes though, that could be a solution,” said Haifa al-Saefi, a bank teller in central Benghazi.
Residents have been lining up outside lenders amid rumours that bank liquidity will rise, allowing them to recover some of their savings. Nizar Mafraks, owner of Nizar Supermarket, said prices of domestic produce, such as meat, had only risen slightly. But some imported items, including staples such as powdered milk, have seen prices rise by two-thirds.
The war has cut off lines to a large tuna factory in Al Khums, forcing shops to import more expensive cans from Europe and Thailand, he said. Many Libyans mistrust foreign food, with one shopper saying the poor-quality tuna imports were “only good enough for the cat”. When asked the price of meat, quipped one shop assistant: “I don’t know, I only eat chicken now.”
Mr Mafraks was charged with “economic crimes” in 1996 by Col Gaddafi’s government, and only managed to avoid a jail sentence by paying a fine. “At least we don’t have that situation any more, the only thing now is to get rid of [Gaddafi] for good,” he said.
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