The United States said hopes to send humanitarian aid teams to Libya as soon as possible, but offered no timetable because of a "fluid and rapidly evolving" security situation.

The United States said Monday it hopes to send humanitarian aid teams to Libya as soon as possible, but offered no timetable because of a "fluid and rapidly evolving" security situation.

"We're fully prepared, and we'll go as soon as the security situation permits us to do so," said Nancy Lindborg, assistant administrator of the State Department's Agency for International Development.

"As you know, it's very fluid and rapidly evolving." Last week, US official announced the plans for civilian humanitarian aid teams to be sent into opposition-held eastern Libya but stressed the step should not be seen as any kind of military intervention.

Eric Schwartz, the assistant secretary of state for refugees, said that "there are serious humanitarian issues" in the west of Libya as a result of battles between strongman Moamer Kadhafi's forces and rebels.