- Title: TUNISIA: Libyan refugees flee to UNHCR refugee camp in Remada
- Date: 6th May 2011
- Summary: REMADA CAMP, TUNISIA (MAY 5, 2011) (REUTERS) LIBYAN REFUGEES IN TENTS AT THE UNHCR REFUGEE CAMP (50KM FROM THE BORDER) MORE OF TENTS A FAMILY STANDING BY THEIR TENT. WOMAN FIXING THE TENT VARIOUS OF REFUGEE FAMILIES AND CHILDREN NEXT TO THEIR TENTS. SMALL CHILD HOLDING A TOY GUN MORE OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN NEXT TO THEIR TENTS. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) KHEIRA, FROM LIBYAN CITY OF ZINTAN, SAYING: "Now what does Gaddafi want? What does he want? He wants to destroy all of the Libyan people, and he brings his Mercenaries to lead them, that's what he wants, for millions of people to be killed and destroyed. He is the one who should get out and die and the people should live" CHILDREN (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) KHEIRA, FROM LIBYAN CITY OF ZINTAN,SAYING: "The situation is a tragedy, if the situation carries on that way, all the refugees from this camp will fall ill - with very serious and dangerous illnesses - especially with the toilets we use, the kids will get sick, and it's really a tragedy" CHILDREN PLAYING WOMEN WAITING DOCTOR CARING AFTER A 9-YEAR-OLD HANDICAPPED CHILD WHO IS SUFFERING FROM DEHYDRATION BECAUSE OF THE HEAT IN THE TENT HANDICAPPED CHILD WITH PARENTS IN TENT (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) OMAR, REFUGEE FROM LIBYAN CITY OF DJABEL NEFOUSSA CITY SAYING: "I am from the city Djabal Nefoussa. We fled from our city because Gaddafi, the tyrant, bombed us, and these kids can't fight to face all of this, so we looked for a place where can we be safe, and we turned to this Camp of the United Nations in Tunisia. Our demands are first of all to expel the tyrant so everyone can go back to his city and be safe, like we were before, and for our families to find some stability. We also want peace of mind, and to live in peace like the developed countries, the countries where there is democracy (....) These are the demands of all my brothers in this camp" HANDICAPPED BOY WITH HIS FATHER REFUGEE FIXING MORE TENTS UN REFUGEE AGENCY UNHCR POSTER PLAN OF THE LEADER OF THE UN REFUGEE AGENCY TALKING TO TWO GUYS (SOUNDBITE) (English) AYMAN GHARAIBEH , THE LEADER OF THE UNHCR REFUGEE AGENCY SAYING: "We have right now 1500 Libyans in Remada Camp, it's a camp that is 50km from the Libyan border. These people have arrived in the past two weeks, and have been staying here for the past two weeks. We have in addition to that the vast majority of Libyans who have crossed and have been crossing at the rate of about 4,000 per day, currently hosted with in host families with Tunisians, and that figure, around 31,000. We expect that to continue to increase and may exceed 50,000 people in the next month" REFUGEE NEXT TO THEIR TENTS PLAN OF A LIBYAN REFUGEE KID HOLDING THE FLAG OF LIBYA
- Embargoed: 21st May 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Tunisia, Tunisia
- Country: Tunisia
- Topics: War / Fighting,International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVACXI0AHTGR0ZNUHOD6SY4KE50J
- Story Text: Libyans are pouring into Tunisia at a daily rate of 4,000 according to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) on Thursday (May 5).
The UN body has set up tents in Remada, some 50km from the border where fighting has intensified over the last few weeks between forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and rebels trying maintain control of the key post of Deheeba as well as the western towns Nalut and Zintan close to the border.
In Zintan, southwest of the capital Tripoli, a rebel spokesman said NATO planes struck Gaddafi's forces near weapons depots west of the rebel-held town.
A Tunisian security source said late on Thursday that more than a dozen mortar rounds fired from Libya landed near Dehiba. He said the Libyan government troops were fighting rebels in the Western Mountains.
Although the UN is trying to place the refugees with host families in Tunisia more than a thousand of them have been stuck in tents at the Remada refugee camp for two weeks now.
The winds in these desert outposts are frequent, daily temperatures can soar up to more than 40 degrees celsius, food is scarce and facilities basic.
People here say they fear Gaddafi's regime. Others that they are too frail to fight and just want peace, democracy and a secure future. All of them are scared and unsure about the future.
"Now what does Gaddafi want? What does he want? He wants to destroy all of the Libyan people, and he brings his Mercenaries to lead them, that's what he wants, for millions of people to be killed and destroyed. He is the one who should get out and die and the people should live," says Kheira, on of the Libyan refugees at the camp.
"The situation is a tragedy, if the situation carries on that way, all the refugees from this camp will fall ill - with very serious and dangerous illnesses - especially with the toilets we use, the kids will get sick, and it's really a tragedy" she adds.
Among people who have crossed over are the frail, the young and the old and those who are unable to care for themselves, like this boy, severely handicapped and who needs constant care.
"I am from the city Djabal Nefoussa. We fled from our city because Gaddafi, the tyrant, bombed us, and these kids can't fight to face all of this, so we looked for a place where can we be safe, and we turned to this Camp of the United Nations in Tunisia. Our demands are first of all to expel the tyrant so everyone can go back to his city and be safe, like we were before, and for our families to find some stability. We also want peace of mind, and to live in peace like the developed countries, the countries where there is democracy (....) These are the demands of all my brothers in this camp" says Omar, the boy's father.
The fighting seems to have reached a stalemate but the shelling and the shooting hasnt. Gaddafi forces are shelling border areas to try to flush out the rebels whilst NATO planes are pounding Gaddafi positions in the west.
And although the fighting is random rather than regular, there is no sign of a let up: rebels on the border said on Thursday they were preparing for an attempt by Gaddafi's forces to retake the crossing.
A group of Western and Arab countries in Rome agreed on Thursday to set up a fund worth billions of dollars to help the rebels. But despite NATO's aerial attacks on Gaddafi positions, this is is no quick fix and, in the short term, will not produce the reversal of power necessary to bring back peace and stability to the region.
The UNHCR says they expect the number of refugees to continue to rise over the next few weeks.
"We have right now 1500 Libyans in Remada Camp, it's a camp that is 50km from the Libyan border. These people have arrived in the past two weeks, and have been staying here for the past two weeks. We have in addition to that the vast majority of Libyans who have crossed and have been crossing at the rate of about 4,000 per day, currently hosted with in host families with Tunisians, and that figure, around 31,000. We expect that to continue to increase and may exceed 50,000 people in the next month" says UNHCR's camp leader Ayman Gharaibeh.
The UN is not just concerned about the fighting. It has growing concerns about how Libyans are getting access to food and medicine - although this particularly affects the rebel held east, the situation in the west is unclear.
Rebel spokesman Mahmoud Shammam told reporters the rebels had only enough funds to pay for their immediate needs in food, public salaries and medicine until the end of May. They needed 2-to-3 billion US dollars in urgent funding, he said.
Josette Sheeran, head of the U.N. World Food Programme said on Thursday Libya's food supplies could run out in six to eight weeks.
She said she feared a "massive humanitarian operation" unless the food and medicine situation is addressed in Libya very soon. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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