Gaddafi-held Tripoli facing shortages, UN says

The Libya that is controlled by Moammar Gaddafi is facing serious fuel, food and cash shortages, a UN fact-finding mission found.

Although this is not news to anyone, the extent of the shortages shows the combined effect of U.N. sanctions against the regime and NATO's intensified bombing campaign.

"Although the mission observed aspects of normalcy in Tripoli, members identified pockets of vulnerability where people need urgent humanitarian assistance," U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator Laurence Hart told the AP.

Libya's fuel shortage is beyond a crisis point. In western cities and around Tripoli, gas lines extend for days despite a fuel rationing system.

The U.N. quoted Libyan experts claiming that supplies might run out in two weeks, but it's difficult to tell how impartial these experts are.

Meanwhile, the rebels are still struggling to get much needed loans.

Earlier this week, the US administration struggled to get the Libyan regime's funds unfrozen so they could be distributed to the newly recognized Transitional National Council, the Washington Post reported.

The rebels had hoped diplomatic recognition would free up billions of dollars in assets that belonged to Moammar Gaddafi’s government. TNC officials say they need the money to keep pressing their five-month-long fight.  The difficulties have come because much of the funds were originally frozen under the auspicies of the UN, and as such require member votes.

On Sunday, Germany promised to lend $144 million to ease a growing humanitarian crisis in rebel-controlled parts of the country, the Guardian reported.

The loan to the NTC will be secured against the frozen funds. The rebels are also struggling to pay for their own essentials, especially in the embattled town of Misrata; exacerbated on Sunday, when loyalist missiles struck the oil tanks that fuel the besieged city of Misrata's power generators.

According to the NTC its needs far greater than this. In May, Reuters quoted another NTC official, Ali Tarhouni, who said the rebels were spending between 50 million to 100 million Libyan dinars ($43 million-86 million) per day. If the rebel calculations are to believed, Germany's loan of 100 million Euros would only keep Benghazi running for about 2 days.