New batch of Chinese aid arrives in Libya

TRIPOLI - A new batch of emergency humanitarian relief materials provided by the Red Cross Society of China arrived in the Libyan capital of Tripoli on Friday.

The Tripoli-bound aid followed the arrival of the first batch on Tuesday, which marked the first Chinese humanitarian assistance to the city of Tripoli since the outbreak of the domestic turmoil in the North African nation.

The aid materials, weighing about 40 tonnes, include rice, edible oil and medicines. They arrived at the Mitiga International Airport in eastern Tripoli at around 8:00 am local time (0600 GMT) aboard a Belorussian carrier.

Wang Xuhong, interim Charge d'Affaires of the Chinese embassy in Libya, said the total amount of China's aid materials to Tripoli will reach 20 million RMB (about $3.2 million) after the arrival of the last batch on Saturday.

The first to receive these aid materials will be fighters (of the ruling National Transitional Council) who have been wounded in the war, and those who are still fighting at a couple of the last front lines such as Sirte and Bani Walid, Nassel Mohamed, executive office chief of the Libyan Red Crescent's Tripoli branch, the recipient of the Chinese aid, told Xinhua.

China's Red Cross Society has decided to provide a total of aid worth 50 million RMB (about $7.8 million) to Libya. The very first batch was sent to Benghazi, the country's second largest city, on August 19.