Brussels, 24/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European Union is taking action to evacuate EU passport-holders from Libya as soon as possible after the bloody repression of the people's revolt by Colonel Gaddafi. Some five or six thousand Europeans are waiting for transport (including military transport) to get away from the bloodbath, explained the European Commission on Thursday 24 February.
The EU Civil Protection Mechanism was activated on Wednesday 23 February by Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi, who is currently chair of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton. The MIC, a monitoring and information centre at the European Commission, which oversees such matters, is coordinating, planning and mobilising offers of assistance from member states which have volunteered to help out. In this case, they will be trying to provide military ships as soon as possible. The MIC is working in close cooperation with the EU Movement Planning Cell at the Council of Ministers, which is identifying options.
On Thursday, Raphael Brigandi, a spokesperson for EU International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva, said that there are some 5,000 to 6,000 EU citizens in Libya who have to be evacuated, 1000 of them from Benghazi, making this an absolute emergency. There are questions about whether planes will be allowed to land in and take off from Libya. The MIC has asked all participating countries to indicate the means of transport and flights on which there are spaces, he said, and the Commission has examined the option of using navy ships that are in the neighbourhood. China has offered 500 places on a ship, he said. Greece has sent a frigate to the Libyan coast that can evacuate people if necessary. On the humanitarian front, the Commission fears the emergence of a massive crisis. Georgieva is in contact with the High Commission for Refugees and the International Red Cross/Red Crescent, and ECHO experts are working on the Tunisian and Egyptian borders. (A.N./transl.fl)