- Title: LIBYA: Foreign workers evacuated from Misrata stay in camp near Benghazi
- Date: 17th April 2011
- Summary: BENGHAZI, LIBYA (APRIL 16, 2011) (REUTERS) CAMP FOR DISPLACED PERSONS IN BENGHAZI VARIOUS OF DISPLACED PEOPLE IN CAMP, SITTING ON THE GROUND, STANDING AROUND VARIOUS OF MEN UNLOADING BELONGINGS FROM CONTAINER RED CRESCENT FLAG ON TEMPORARY SHELTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) MEMBER OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION, ROBERTO PITEA, SAYING: "All of these were migrant workers that were working in Misrata and areas around, and they have sought refuge in the city. And a lot of them have been going down to an area around the port where we estimate between 6,000 and 10,000 people over the span of the last week have sought refuge, waiting to be evacuated." DISPLACED PERSONS WALKING THROUGH ENTRANCE TO CAMP VARIOUS OF DISPLACED PERSONS IN CAMP STANDING IN LINE TO REGISTER WITH RED CRESCENT WORKERS DISPLACED PERSONS REGISTERING WITH RED CRESCENT WORKERS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) EGYPTIAN MAN DISPLACED FROM MISRATA, ASHRAF MOHAMED, SAYING: "And the day that we rode on the ship, in the evening there were more than 80 missiles that fell on Misrata port. More than 80 missiles on Misrata port. That's in the port alone, not counting what happened inside the city. And at that time three Egyptians were killed." MORE OF DISPLACED STANDING IN LINE RED CRESCENT WORKER HELPING EGYPTIAN MAN TO CALL HIS FAMILY ON A SATELLITE PHONE EGYPTIAN MAN SPEAKING ON SATELLITE PHONE, SAYING IN ARABIC: "Hello, I'm in Benghazi. Yes… Thank God. Just a little while longer, a week or so and we'll be with you." MORE OF DISPLACED PERSONS WAITING IN LINE (SOUNDBITE) (English) BANGLADESHI MAN DISPLACED FROM MISRATA, MOHAMED ABU TUNYAN, SAYING: "About fifteen days we were in Masna Hadid [a steel factory] there, the steel company there. We was staying there and also maybe about 1,500 Bangladeshis there. And always maybe morning times, always bombing in sea port. And so this was very big problem. And also no food, no water." DISPLACED WORKERS STANDING IN CAMP
- Embargoed: 2nd May 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Libya
- Country: Libya
- Topics: War / Fighting,International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVA18M0YER59OOWH32KX6LSU0MTQ
- Story Text: Evacuees from Misrata were settling into a refugee camp in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on Saturday (April 16). An aid ship brought nearly 1,200 Misrata evacuees to Benghazi late on Friday (April 15) in a rescue operation organised jointly by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Libyan Red Crescent.
The IOM said the evacuees were migrant workers and many more were still stranded and desperate to escape.
"All of these were migrant workers that were working in Misrata and areas around, and they have sought refuge in the city. And a lot of them have been going down to an area around the port where we estimate between 6,000 and 10,000 people over the span of the last week have sought refuge, waiting to be evacuated," Roberto Pitea said.
The IOM estimates up to 10,000 people still need to be evacuated from Misrata, but continued bombardment makes it impossible to get into many areas of the city.
Misrata is the rebels' only major bastion in the western part of Libya. Pro-Gaddafi forces have laid siege to it for seven weeks after cities across the coast rose up against the Libyan leader's four-decade rule in mid-February.
Evacuated workers described the situation in the city.
"And the day that we rode on the ship, in the evening there were more than 80 missiles that fell on Misrata port. More than 80 missiles on Misrata port. That's in the port alone, not counting what happened inside the city. And at that time three Egyptians were killed," said Ashraf Mohamed from Egypt.
"About fifteen days we were in Masna Hadid [a steel factory] there, the steel company there. We was staying there and also maybe about 1,500 Bangladeshis there. And always maybe morning times, always bombing in sea port. And so this was very big problem. And also no food, no water," said Mohamed Abu Tunyan from Bangladesh.
The IOM and Red Crescent say they are providing the workers with food and shelter and funds to make the journey home.
Hundreds are believed to have died in Misrata. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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