Gaddafi's forces shell Misurata port

Nesirky said humanitarian work is continuing, with the redeployed staff from Tripoli supporting operations in western Libya from Tunisia.

The office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that more than 665,000 people have now fled strife-torn Libya.

International human right groups have warned of a humanitarian disaster in Misurata, amid fears that over 1000 people have been killed following the violence and the siege for the last two months.

A ship to deliver supplies and evacuate some 1,000 foreigners and wounded Libyans was waiting off Misurata for the shelling to halt and mines to be cleared, the International Organisation for Migration said.

NATO said it had destroyed two of three mines laid by government forces.

Amid the escalating violence, Gaddafi's forces have been accused of sexual assaults and rape against women in Libya.

Al Jazeera quoted women as saying that they were taken to the desert in groups. Others said they were raped in front of their families. Rebels have accused the regime of distributing Viagra pills to troops to carry out mass rape.

There is growing division among the international community over the military campaign by the western nations, with Russia and China critical of the targeting of the Libyan regime by NATO air strikes.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has accused NATO of a "disproportionate use of force", describing describing the air strikes as being outside the mandate of UNSC resolution. China has underlined the need for a ceasefire in Libya as it called upon NATO to abide by UNSC mandate to protect civilians.

The international coalition led by the US began air strikes in Libya on March 19 following the UNSC mandate to protect civilians. NATO took command of military campaign on March 31.