Due to extremely poor communications, it is difficult to assess humanitarian needs in Libya, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said Wednesday.

“The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarians Affairs (OCHA) in Libya is concerned about access to health services for the injured, lack of medical supplies and the need for blood,” Nesirky said at a daily news briefing.

Humanitarian agencies are allowed very limited presence in the country, only the World Food Program (WFP) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) have small offices in Libya. UNHCR is sending staff to the border areas with Tunisia and Egypt to assess needs, Nesirky said.

There are less than 30 international staff in Libya, and it was very important to keep them safe in the restive North African country, B. Lynne Pasco, the UN under-secretary-general for political affairs, told reporters here Tuesday.

Currently, some 5,000 people have reportedly arrived at the Tunisian border and some 15,000 arrived at the Egyptian border, according to OCHA.

“The borders between the two countries are open and medical supplies are being allowed in,” Nesirky said.

OCHA is consolidating information to better understand how to respond to the humanitarian part of the crisis, according to Nesirky.

The UN resident representative remains in Libya, Nesirky noted.