It was agreed on Monday that the Dutch government will release 100 million euros of frozen funds from Muammar Gaddafi's government to enable the World Health Organisation to buy medicine for the Libyan population.

The WHO has said shortages of medicines and medical supplies are putting lives at risk during the conflict and has called for the release of blocked funds to help supply the medicines.

Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal said the Netherlands released the funds in response to a direct appeal from the WHO. He said the Netherlands was the first country to free up Libyan funds in this way.

"Sanctions should squeeze the regime and the population should not be the victim of this. That is precisely what is happening now: frozen money from Gaddafi will be used to save Libyan lives," Rosenthal said in a statement.

The Netherlands has in total frozen 3 billion euros in Libyan funds linked to the Libyan Foreign Bank.

A ministry spokesman said the decision to release the 100 million euros was taken after the UN sanctions committee gave the green light, but it was too early to say whether the Dutch would release more funds.

He said the medicines purchased and distributed by the WHO would be used to treat diabetes patients and people with heart problems or to buy urgent surgical supplies.

The WHO said last month many hospitals had been damaged during the conflict in Libya and together with a mass exodus of migrant nurses and a shortage of medicines had "led to the collapse of the primary health care network".

Source: Reuters