UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) on Thursday said that the fighting in the Western Mountains of Libya is preventing the much-needed delivery of aid and supplies.

Josette Sheeran, the Executive Director of WFP, urged all parties involved in the armed conflict to observe a truce in order to allow aid workers to assess requirements. Currently, the UN food aid agency is using alternate routes to distribute assistance.

"The supplies have reached several of the affected places, but we have not yet been able to reach the areas most affected by fighting around Yefrin and Zintan in the Western Mountains," added Sheeran.

UN staff workers are delivering food aid and supplies through a supply route from the Tunisian border into western Libya for distribution in areas heavily affected by the fighting by the Libyan Red Crescent and local communities.

"The supply route is now facing serious challenges due to insecurity in many of the areas in, addition to severe fuel shortages. Food needs in that area is immense," said the WFP chief.

The food aid agency chartered two ships to deliver assistance to the besieged city of Misrata but the port has been coming under mortar fire attack. On April 25, a WFP vessel was attacked while departing from the troubled city.

On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for an immediate end to attacks against the civilian population in Libya as well as a verifiable ceasefire between authorities and opposition groups.

The North African country has been marred with violence since February after protests emerged against the long-standing regime of Muammar al-Qadhafi. NATO took control of foreign military operations in Libya on March 31.

An estimated 615,000 people have fled the country so far, with more than 10,000 evacuated from the troubled city of Misrata. The ongoing civil war between rebels and forces loyal to Gaddafi has so far claimed at least 2,000 lives since unrest began in mid-February. Other estimates put the death toll from all sides, including civilians, at up to 10,000.

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