Tripoli, Oct 18 (IANS): The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said that it has provided food assistance for thousands of refugees in Libya's capital Tripoli.

"In Libya, UNHCR joined forces with WFP (World Food Programme) to provide emergency food aid for thousands of vulnerable food-insecure refugees and asylum-seekers who have been impacted by conflict as well as the socio-economic impacts of the coronavirus lockdown," Xinhua news agency quoted the Agency as saying in a tweet.

"These food boxes have been a vital lifeline for some of the most food-insecure refugees and asylum-seekers, including those released from detention," it added.

So far this year, the UNHCR has distributed more than 60,000 food parcels for vulnerable people in Libya.

The Libyan authorities recently carried out raids and arrests against illegal migrants in different parts of the capital city.

Around 751 women and 255 children were among the thousands of migrants and asylum seekers caught up in recent mass arrests, according to the Unicef.

Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, making the North African country a preferred point of departure for illegal migrants who want to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores.