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Crisis in Libya
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Crisis in Libya
UNHCR has deployed teams to key border points between Libya and Tunisia to provide tents and other relief items to up to 10,000 people fleeing the civil unrest and political violence currently taking place in Libya. Already an estimated 22,000 people have crossed into Tunisia since fighting broke out. UNHCR is also working with the Egyptian government helping those escaping into Egypt.
Your much-needed donation through UNHCR will help provide emergency relief items to the thousands of North Africans fleeing the persecution and killing in Libya right now.
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- April 29, 2011: BRIEFING: Tensions on Libya-Tunisia border stem outflow of refugees
- April 28, 2011: Surviving war in Misrata: A Libyan family tell of their ordeal
- April 26, 2011: More civilians flee Libya's Western Mountains, new aid reaches the east
- April 12, 2011: Hundreds of Libyan Berbers flee Western Mountains and head to Tunisia
- March 18, 2011: UNHCR prepares for possible massive influx to Egypt from Libya
- March 16, 2011: Giving up your child to save her: a tale from Tunisia
- March 15, 2011: UNHCR fears civilians prevented from fleeing Libya amid fighting
- March 10, 2011: Somali labourer flees from discrimination and violence in Libya
- March 7, 2011: UNHCR seeks US$32 million for Libya emergency operations
- March 1, 2011: UNHCR steps up relief efforts as huge numbers flee Libya to Egypt and Tunisia
- February 25, 2011: UNHCR urges support for Tunisia and Egypt as thousands flee Libya
- February 22, 2011: UNHCR fears for the safety of refugees caught in Libya's violence
Crisis in Libya
UNHCR is working with the Tunisian and Egyptian authorities and aid groups to manage the dramatic influx of tens of thousands of people fleeing Libya. By the beginning of March, two weeks after the violence erupted in Libya, more than 140,000 people had fled to the neighbouring countries, while thousands more were waiting to cross. Most are Egyptian and Tunisian nationals, though small numbers of Libyans and other nationalities are managing to escape. UNHCR is particularly concerned about thousands of refugees and other foreigners trapped inside Libya, especially people from sub-Saharan Africa. The following photo essay gives a glimpse into what is happening at the borders.
CLICK ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGE
Tunisia’s tented transit Camp
All photos: © UNHCR/ A.Branthwaite
A new camp full of UNHCR tents, has sprung up close to Tunisia’s border with Libya to provide shelter to thousands of migrant workers desperate to get hope. The UNHCR-run facility is already full, with 15,000 people from around Africa and Asia who have fled from Libya.
Most of the new arrivals are penniless and have no hope of making it home on their own. Many of the sub-Saharan Africans arriving at the camp say they fled because of threats and abuse, with some being attacked and robbed in their homes as well as at the checkpoints that have sprung up along many roads in Libya. Non-African arrivals also report having their belongings taken at the checkpoints, but say they have not been the victims of racism and threats.
With people continuing to arrive daily, UNHCR and other agencies are bracing themselves for what could be a large-scale humanitarian disaster if the fighting worsens and if large numbers of Libyans try to flee their country.
CLICK ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGE
How is the UN Refugee Agency saving lives?
The agency is working around the clock:
- Providing critically needed protection, shelter, clean water, education, and medical attention to refugees, especially children.
- Maintaining 12 refugee camps in eastern Chad, which include family shelters, clinics, schools, and wells.
- Developing 30 women centres to counsel and treat victims of sexual violence.
- Providing special protection for children through youth centres.
UNHCR is the only agency with the world mandate to protect refugees and provide durable solutions for their plight.
How you can help
- $40 provides 10 blankets for civilians displaced by the violence.
- $100 provides a survival kit containing a blanket, a mattress, a kitchen set, a cooking stove and soap.
- $200 provides an all-weather tent to shelter families displaced by the fighting.