U.N. delegation dispatched to help Libyan parties explore cease-fire options

TRIPOLI, Libya, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- A United Nations delegation arrived in Libya this week to help the conflict-ridden country reach a cease-fire.

Led by the U.N. Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative for Libya and deputy head of the U.N. Support Mission in Libya, Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the delegation was expected to meet with Libyan parties to explore cease-fire options and to assess the humanitarian situation.

Violence between depleted government forces and Islamist militant gangs has escalated in Libya in recent weeks.

Fighting in and around the capital, Tripoli, forced many embassies and international organizations to shutter. Evacuation efforts have been complicated by the closure of Tripoli's airport. The U.N. refugee agency warned Wednesday that increased fighting has forced a new wave of Libyan refugees to flee their country by sea.