Brussels, 17/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - As the forces of Colonel Gaddafi advance on Benghazi, the EU is preparing to help the large numbers of Libyan and foreign nationals who could leave the country, European Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva stated in Brussels, on Thursday 17 March, launching a call for more assets, air and maritime, to be made available. “Our ability to repatriate foreign nationals trying to leave the country through Tunisia does not meet needs. These last few days, Libyan families who have lost their homes have been fleeing Libya. I have been in contact with the International Migrations Organisation (IMO) and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). We must be able to do more to help. If necessary, we will ask for flights to be made available”, she stated.
So far, 280,000 people have fled Libya, 140,000 through Tunisia, 120,000 through Egypt, 11,000 through Algeria and 3,500 through Niger. “But these figures are changing minute by minute.”
The commissioner said that, for the moment, the numbers of Libyans fleeing the country is “very low: around 8,000” a few days ago but, over the last 24 hours, the elderly, women and children have been trying to leave. And for the first time, more families are trying to get out, mainly through the Egyptian border. “I think that we are at a turning point. Conditions have changed. Benghazi is under threat. Humanitarian organisations are evacuating their staff because of the intensity of the fighting. We have to ask if we need to evacuate citizens by sea”, Georgieva reflected. She announced the EU was ready to increase aid. She also launched an appeal to the Egyptian authorities to remain open to the situation of the refugees who want to leave their country. Only some 80 European nationals are awaiting evacuation, freeing up camps on the border with Tunisia. (A.N./transl.rt)