A United Nations team due to travel to Libya’s Derna on Tuesday in the aftermath of the country’s worst ever natural disaster has been refused access, a spokesperson for the global body’s humanitarian office (OCHA) told Reuters.

“We can confirm that search and rescue teams, emergency medical teams and UN colleagues who are already in Derna continue to operate,” OCHA spokesperson Najwa Mekki said in an emailed response to Reuters questions.

“However, a UN team was due to travel from Benghazi to Derna today but were not authorized to proceed,” she added, calling for unimpeded access.

Earlier, some journalists for media that have been broadcasting live from the city for days said that they have been ordered out. Officials in the eastern administration played this down or denied it.