Brussels, 04/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - The EU has stepped up its effort to continue assisting the 180,000 people seeking to leave Libya, and to support the authorities of neighbouring countries - Tunisia and Egypt - overwhelmed by the massive flow of migrants. The air and sea bridge set in place by Europeans is now proving successful but ships are lacking, EU sources said on Friday. In addition to the increase in emergency humanitarian aid to €30 million, announced on Thursday for the ongoing evacuation of refugees (see EUROPE 10328), a team of six civil protection experts arrived at the Tunisian border on Thursday to help the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the UNHCR and the Tunisian authorities with repatriation operations.
“A growing number of European boats and aeroplanes are participating in the repatriation of third country nationals (mostly Egyptians) to their places of origin”, Kristalina Georgieva, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, is pleased to state in a press release. She asserts, however, that she is “increasingly worried about the humanitarian situation on the Libyan side of the border. Information about the developments there is scarce, the number of those trying to cross is unknown, and their needs could be substantial”. She states that humanitarian access is restricted and calls on “the Libyan authorities and on those who control parts of Libya to allow humanitarian workers in the country to facilitate their access to those who need our help”. Georgieva add: “The humanitarian community must be able to provide aid without deterrent and threat, in line with the humanitarian principles of neutrality and impartiality”. On her return from the region, she was in Geneva on Friday for aid coordination meetings with the UNHCR, the IMO and the Red Cross/Red Crescent.
According to EU senior officials, the humanitarian situation on the Tunisian border is urgent, and is changing by the hour. On Thursday, 92 Europeans wished to leave Libya. On Friday morning, there were 204, while 1,336 EU nationals still in Libya wished to remain there. There were 180,000 people leaving Libya towards Tunisia, Egypt, Niger and Algeria, most of them through Tunisia. Thousands of people are waiting to be transferred by boat from Djerba to Egypt or towards their country of origin. Most are Egyptian but there are also nationals from Bangladesh, Black Africa and Sri Lanka.
On Friday, at 2.30pm, the offer being made for logistic support by member states was for 15 aircraft and four ships (Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Malta and the United Kingdom). “On Friday morning, the IMO informed us that Djerba airport could not take in any more aircraft. But we do not have enough ships. We call on member states to send ships to reduce the pressure at the Tunisian border. At the Egyptian border, the situation is less tense. The same is true for the Algerian and Nigerian borders where only a few thousand people are crossing”, EU sources indicate. Four member states are planning to provide aid in kind (blankets, mobile cooking facilities) and seven member states have proposed financial aid. Although one cannot rule out the risk that some people will take advantage of the situation to enter Europe, most (i.e. more than 90%) are willing to return to their country of origin, the senior officials state. ECHO experts, who are at the Tunisian and Egyptian borders, are cooperating with the member states that have sent aircraft and ships, and are working in coordination with the UNHCR to assist legal border crossings. On Thursday evening, there was a fall in the number of people crossing the border from Libya to Tunisia but the reason for this is not yet known, European sources say. (A.N./transl.jl)