Libyan Committee for Humanitarian Aid and. Relief

Transcription

1 Weekly Report 7 May Libyan Committee for Humanitarian Aid and Relief Libyan Committee for Humanitarian Aid & Relief a.benmussa@libyanaid.org 5/7/2011

2 LIBYAN COMMITTEE FOR HUMANITARIAN AID AND RELIEF Report for the period between 24th April and 7th May General overview: Despite a period of relative calm in the east of the country, the relentless military campaign conducted by Gaddafi s regime in the west, particularly in Misrata, has continued unabated. Pro-Gaddafi forces stationed on the outskirts of Misrata with tanks, heavy artillery and rocket launchers continued their intense shelling of densely populated residential neighbourhoods, inflicting heavy civilian casualties. Gaddafi s regime continues to engage in genocide and war crimes against the people of Libya. An example of such crimes is the planting of anti-personnel mines under the corpses still lying in the streets of central Misrata, causing additional casualties among civilians, especially among paramedics and medical personnel. Pro-Gaddafi forces also use sexual violence as a weapon to terrorise the population. Cases of FIGURE 1 MISURATA rape and sexual assaults on women and children have been reported in the cities of Ajdabiya, Brega and Misrata. In another development, NATO disabled and destroyed two to three drifting sea mines in the approaches of Misrata harbour. Gaddafi s regime continues to create havoc in the city, disrupting relief operations by planting sea mines capable of damaging or sinking aid ships and halting the evacuation of wounded Libyans. The situation in the far west of the country is steadily worsening. In an attempt to regain control of the Wazin/Dehiba border crossing with Tunisia, pro-gaddafi forces attacked the UAE Red Crescent refugee camp in the town of Dehiba inside Tunisian territory. The continued firing of rocket-propelled grenades and mortar shells deep inside 1

3 Tunisian territory spread terror among Libyans refugees and Tunisian civilians, causing a massive exodus of people from Dehiba towards safer areas in Tunisia. In its first official statistical statement, the National Transitional Council (NTC) stated that 12,000 people have died since the beginning of Gaddafi regime's systematic attacks on the Libyan population last February. The NTC also reported that an unknown number of people are still missing, injured and detained by the regime. In an unprecedented and unexpected development following the claims made by Gaddafi that one of his sons and three of his grandchildren were killed in a NATO airstrike, groups loyal to the Gaddafi regime burnt several foreign embassies in Tripoli. The United Nations Office in Tripoli was also attacked, prompting the UN to withdraw its entire international staff from the Libyan capital. This will undoubtedly increase the difficulty and the cost of delivering humanitarian assistance to besieged areas. LCHR dispatched a humanitarian assessment and fact-finding team to the Western Mountains area, near the Tunisian border. Despite heavy shelling, the team was able to reach the area through the Wazin\Dehiba border crossing and go as far east as Alzentan, passing through the cities of Nalut and Jadu. In addition to assessing the Western Mountains current humanitarian FIGURE 2 WAZIN / DEHIBA environment, the LCHR team was charged with identifying existing and future communication channels as well as the needed level of human expertise in the region. The team was also requested to report back on humanitarian and evacuation needs for Libyan refugees on Tunisian territory. The team was composed of the LCHR Committee Coordinator, the International Relations Coordinator and another member of the Committee. The team's mission was facilitated by the assistance provided by the Turkish Red Crescent and the United Nations World Food Program. Providing a grim assessment of the humanitarian situation in these mountainous areas, the LCHR team warned of humanitarian disaster, the result of intense bombardment by Gaddafi's troops for three consecutive weeks. The area s residents reported many atrocities committed by forces loyal to the regime. In addition to the indiscriminate shelling of populated areas, Gaddafi troops 2

4 systematically destroyed the countryside by burning crops and killing livestock and herders. Following the death of a large number of farmers and shepherds and the looting of their possessions by pro-gaddafi forces, local authorities in Nalut issued a warning to all residents urging them to stay away from agricultural and pastoral areas. Pro-Gaddafi militia, who control the road connecting the town of Alzentan to Yefren, Qalaa and Kekla, continue to block the delivery of aid supplies to these four areas. Residents of the Western Mountains consequently lack all the basic necessities and are in danger of starvation, particularly children, as a result of persistent food shortages. In the Libyan capital Tripoli, LCHR sources reported the arrest and torture of thousands of people. Schools and public buildings are reportedly being used as jails since official prisons established in and around the capital are overcrowded. All western areas suffer from severe fuel shortage, forcing residents to queue for petrol for up to four days, while a litre of petrol is sold for 7.5 LD on the black market (the official rate being 0.15 DL). In Tripoli, a litre of petrol is sold for 7.5 LD on the black market The number of checkpoints between Tripoli and the Ras-Igdir border crossing on the Tunisian border has reached 35 in a distance not exceeding 200 km. Once stopped at checkpoints, ordinary citizens are interrogated about their political views. If they happen to carry cameras, mobile phones or computers, people are searched for a reference to any political affiliation or activity, and have their devices confiscated. Libyans who managed to escape from Zawia and Zwara also reported a series of horrible crimes, including the rape, torture and killing of thousands of detainees by pro- Gaddafi militia. 3

5 2 - Humanitarian needs and responses: Emergency Shelter / Migration / Population Movements As the IDP crisis continues to worsen, forced migration into Libya s neighbouring countries is becoming a major humanitarian concern. Due to incessant shelling of residential neighbourhoods, schools and mosques in the western region, the number of Libyans fleeing to Tunisia increases daily. IDPs from liberated areas manage to cross the Tunisian border at Dehiba, while those who still live in areas controlled by Gaddafi forces use the Ras-Ijdir border crossing, further north. IDPs from Ajdabiya and Misrata who found refuge in Benghazi and other south eastern regions, are going through severe hardships as a result of food FIGURE 3 NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO LEFT LIBYA shortages. A deepening humanitarian crisis across the region is looming, unless the international community mobilises additional efforts to protect and assist Libyan refugees. Western Mountains - Tunisia: The IDP crisis in the Western Mountains and the border areas with Tunisia has recently received significantly more attention than the deteriorating humanitarian situation in other parts of the country. Aid agencies and other international organisations established in west of the country and in Tunisia face escalating floods of refugees desperate to get away from the fighting in their hometowns. It is estimated that 108,547 Libyan citizens have thus far entered Tunisian territory through the Dehiba and Ras-Ijdir border crossings. About 80% of them are believed to be refugees. In addition, the number of unregistered crossings due to bombardment of border crossings by pro-gaddafi militia and the use of smuggling routes is estimated at about 10,000. Several Libyan and Tunisian charity organisations are currently working to locate and register all the Libyan IDPs who managed to reach Tunisia. 4

6 The fuel crisis also adds to the difficulties faced by Libyan refugees attempting to flee bombardment from Gaddafi s regime and find refuge in Tunisia. In the town of Alzentan, the litre of petrol when petrol can be found has recently reached 2.25 LD (compared to 0.15 LD prior to the crisis), forcing people to stay in their homes under Gaddafi forces heavy artillery fire. Wazin: A consequence of the recent offensive launched by Gaddafi's forces on the opposition-controlled border post, the population of Wazin has fled to Tunisia. The streets are empty and the shops are closed. Heavy shelling has severely damaged houses, schools and other buildings. Nalut: FIGURE-4 LOCALS DEALING WITH FUEL SHORTAGE Although pro-gaddafi militia experienced difficulties in reaching the city of Nalut due to its geographical location and mountainous terrain, at least 75% of the town population has fled towards Tunisia, according to estimates from the local city council. All shops and petrol stations are closed. Only two bakeries in the entire city remain open but experience long queues and suffer from fuel shortages. Alzentan: The Gaddafi regime s forces bombard the city of Alzentan on a regular basis, typically twice a day, once in the morning and a second time in the evening. Trapped under heavy fire, locals are unable to leave due to fuel shortage. Petrol stations are no longer operating in the city while fuel coming from Tunisia and Algeria is too expensive for most people to afford. The city also suffers from power cuts on a regular basis. Furthermore, Alzentan hosts many IDPs from the towns of Yefren, Qalaa, Kekla and Ghanayem. Forced to flee their homes, these refugees found themselves caught in another impossible situation. Dehiba - Tunisia: Almost 2,500 Libyan refugees pass though the Dehiba border crossing every day to enter Tunisian territory. A refugee camp set up by the UAE Red Crescent in collaboration with the Tunisian Red Crescent is currently home to about 1,400 Libyan 5

7 refugees occupying 70 large tents. The camp is very well equipped, providing refugees with three meals a day and excellent medical care from the Tunisian Red Crescent and Tunisian doctors. Pro-Gaddafi forces recently fired shells into the town of Dehiba and reportedly sent cars loaded with soldiers and weapons to attack FIGURE 4 LIBYAN CHILDREN IN DEHIBA REFUGEE CAMP the refugee camp, in blatant defiance of all international norms and treaties. This attack caused panic among the refugees, many of whom left the Dehiba camp to travel further inland, away from the border. In addition, Tunisian families from the city of Dehiba currently host an estimated 5,000 Libyan refugees. Ramadah - Tunisia: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) set up a camp for Libyan refugees in the city of Ramadah in collaboration with other local charity organisations and NGOs. The refugee camp houses around 350 families, or about 2,100 refugees spread over 153 tents within the camp and 90 tents outside it. Although international disaster relief standards emphasise the need to take all possible measures to alleviate human suffering caused by disasters and conflicts including the right of those affected to a dignified life, humanitarian conditions in the UNHCR camp are regrettably poor. Some of the major problems include: - Severe overcrowding of refugee tents, which is contrary to established international standards whereby the minimum space allocated to each individual should not be less than 3.5 Sqm. - Lack of space for washing clothes. These two particular problems resulted in the emergence and spread of lice, skin allergies as well as cases of scabies among the refugee population of the camp. 6

8 - Lack of electricity, denying refugees access to permanent artificial lighting. - The location of the tents, excessively close to one another, denies refugees their right to privacy and prevents their observance of social customs. - The cylindrically shaped tents used in the camp are inadequate, for they cannot withstand strong sandy windstorms. There were numerous reports of tents collapsing on people s heads, causing injuries and additional traumas, especially among children. - Tents are not suitable for the hot climate during the day. Instead, double roofed tents providing better ventilation should have been erected. - There are only 40 toilets in the entire camp, which amounts to only one toilet for every 52 people. International standards stipulate that at least one toilet is required for every 20 people. - Toilets are lacking water facilities and lighting is poor. This leads to an increase in filth and spread of diseases. - There are no more than 20 bathrooms in the entire camp, one bathroom for every 100 people. Most bathroom doors are not equipped with locks. This is contrary to all international and humanitarian standards relating to personal privacy. - The lack of ambulance services at the camp negatively impacts the care of patients who are most often being transported in unsuitable and ill-equipped vehicles. - Lack of fire extinguisher cylinders in case of emergency. - The lack of educational and recreational programs for children negatively affects their well being, which could have severe psychological impacts in the future. 7

9 Tataouine - Tunisia: Based on the figures provided by local organisations and volunteers, there are approximately 30,000 refugees in Tataouine alone, most of whom live with host families. Another 3,000 refugees reside in the city's youth hostel. The Qatari government is currently working with Libyan volunteers to establish a sizeable refugee camp in the city municipal stadium. The camp would be well equipped with a maximum capacity of 10,000 people. Misrata: The situation in Misrata remains critical despite the widening of the battlefront to the west and south. The inhabitants of the southern districts do not feel safe to go back to their homes while the shelling of the city is continuing unabated. The flow of refugees awaiting evacuation in the port of the besieged city has recently increased despite constant shelling by Gaddafi s forces on the sole lifeline of battered families. This calls for urgent action from the international community to rescue trapped civilians and help guarantee their safe transportation to Benghazi. Current estimates put the number of refugees awaiting evacuation in the port of Misrata to 5,000 people in total. 8

10 Eastern Region: Several thousands IDPs from the areas of Misrata, Ajdabiya, Brega and Ras-Lanuf currently reside in towns and villages of the Eastern Region. They live mostly in camps set up inside public buildings, such as schools, or with host families. The LHCR has thus far managed to account for 106,000 IDPs scattered across the south eastern region of the country and continues to work to account for the remainder. Many of the IDPs are being taken care of by the LHCR with assistance from the International Red Cross and the Turkish Red Crescent, although additional help is desperately needed. The LHCR put out an urgent request to all the international humanitarian organisations operating in Libya for the establishment of an IDP registration system, as well as for the provision of training in the management of refugee camps. Response has thus far been very slow. Health: Western Mountains - Alzentan: During their recent visit to Alzentan, the LCHR team visited the city hospital, a basic facility which used to handle minor medical issues and transferred all major cases to more sizeable hospitals in Yefren, Gherian and even Tripoli. However, owing to the current special circumstances in Libya, the city hospital started to serve as a main hospital providing all aspects of health care services, including surgical operations. Currently, the hospital is under extreme pressure given the large number of patients arriving every day. With a maximum capacity of 60 beds and a foreign medical team of 52 people (of which 14 have already left), Alzentan hospital is severely overworked. It is also the target of frequent shelling by the Gaddafi forces. Over the last few days, three rocket-propelled grenades landed in the vicinity of the hospital. It is worth mentioning that Alzentan hospital comes to the aid of all fighting parties, indiscriminately. It has thus far FIGURE 5 A MISSLE LANDED VERY CLOSE TO THE HOSPITAL 9

11 received and treated 35 soldiers from the Gaddafi forces, providing them with necessary care and treatment, including four surgical operations and the necessary follow up treatment up until their discharge. The hospital is however in dire need of the following specialised medical personnel: - Surgeons: 2 - Anaesthetists: 2 - Orthopaedic Surgeons: 2 - Gynaecologist and Obstetrician: 1 (preferably a female) - Neurologist: 1 - Intensive care physician: 1 In addition, Alzentan hospital suffers from an acute shortage of nursing staff, medical supplies and equipment. A full list of requirements can be found on the following link provided by LCHR: pdf Nalut: The hospital in Nalut suffers from shortages of medicine and medical supplies, notably for the treatment of chronic diseases. A channel of communication with the hospital manager has been established by the LCHR. Ramadah - Tunisia: A number of Libyan doctors specialised in a large number of disciplines run a small clinic in the UNHCR refugee camp of the town of Ramadah. Nevertheless, the camp is in dire need of an ambulance vehicle to transport sick and injured patients to hospitals in Tataouine and other Tunisian cities. Tataouine - Tunisia: The city of Tataouine counts only one hospital which is struggling to cope with a sudden increase in inflows of wounded and sick patients. With the help of businessmen and doctors from Tunisia and Libya, a clinic was recently opened, treating patients around the clock and therefore easing the pressure on the city hospital. However, the costs involved in maintaining medical facilities are abysmal, reducing the ability of Libyan and Tunisian charity organisations and NGOs to meet all of the patients medical needs. The intervention of international organisations is therefore urgently needed. 10

12 Tripoli and the liberated areas: The recent departure of foreign medical teams and the coincident decrease in imports of medicine and medical supplies has had a significantly damaging impact on the quality of healthcare services throughout the country. Acute shortage of medicine supplies of all types has caused prices to rise very sharply. Increasing numbers of patients contemplate travelling to Tunisia in search for treatment. However, fuel scarcity and dire economic conditions prevent the vast majority of them from doing so. Misrata: The health situation in Misrata remains critical. Continued shelling of all parts of the city led to the death of several thousands of people and left many injured. The city hospital has been unable to fully cope with such an extremely adverse situation. Doctors, nurses and medical technicians are crucially lacking. The World Health Organisation (WHO) called the evacuation of the wounded towards Benghazi a high priority. FIGURE 6 VESSEL EQUIPPED TO CARRY WOUNDED PATIENTS Transportation of wounded men and women from Misrata to Benghazi aboard evacuation ships occurs on a regular basis. Some of the ships have been modified to meet the medical requirements for transportation of wounded people. Meanwhile, the city of Misrata continues to receive medical and food supplies from Benghazi and Malta with assistance from a number of international and Libyan organisations, notably the Libyan Good Call and Libyan Free Society. Due to the large number of amputations, there is a pressing need for a program of artificial limb installation, rehabilitation training and psychological consultation for the victims. Eastern Region: Despite a period of relative calm in the east of the country, the vast number of wounded from Ajdabiya and Misrata is overwhelming for the few existing local medical facilities. The problem is compounded by the lack of funds, which restricts the volume of medicine and medical supplies being imported. The priority is to provide local hospitals with constant medical supplies and medicine. Priority needs include chemotherapy, surgical drapes, nutrition, intravenous vaccines, anaesthesia and analgesics. The 11

13 international community is also expected to assume responsibility for transferring critical cases overseas and provide treatment. Additionally, a number of Libyan businessmen in coordination with Libyan charity organisations have taken upon themselves to transport and treat many of the wounded in Egypt. The Libyan Good Call organisation, for example, was responsible for the opening of three hospitals in Cairo dedicated entirely to the reception and treatment of Libyan victims. Food: Eastern Region: A food crisis is looming in Libya s Easter Region. Despite the return of several shipping lines to the port of Benghazi, the lack of foreign funds directly impacts food prices, negatively affecting Libyans purchasing power. Current food stocks are estimated to last no longer than four weeks. Through the World Food Program, the United Nations endeavours to ensure that food supplies are consistently imported into the country. About 13,500 tons of food has thus far been delivered, catering for up to 300,000 people during 3 months. These food shipments mainly consist of flour, lentils, rice and high-calorie biscuits. FIGURE 7 SHIPPING LINES RESUMED WORK INBENGHAZI HARBOR Although such basic food deliveries are vital, it is also important to observe the dietary habits of Libyan families. Yefren - Qalaa - Kekla: The humanitarian situation of these cities, besieged for three consecutive weeks, is dreadful. Pro-Gaddafi militias prevent the delivery of humanitarian relief to the local population. In particular, children are increasingly suffering from hunger. The international community has an obligation to intervene and exert all necessary pressures on Gaddafi s regime to allow relief supplies to reach civilians. 12

14 Tripoli: The current inflation rate in the capital is ranging from 75% to 80% and reports of food scarcity and empty warehouses give rise to deep concerns. The few existing supermarkets only open for two hours a day and are reportedly almost empty while most bakeries have already closed, causing skirmishes among the local population. Acute shortage of basic food supplies such as Inflation rate is ranging from 75% to 80% rice, pasta and baby food contributed to the increasing number of Libyans attempting to find refuge in Tunisia. Misrata: Gaddafi's campaign to starve civilians impacted heavily on people's sense of food security, leading them to abandon the city in search for ways of feeding their families. Despite the efforts made by Libyan and international charity organisations to secure the delivery of food to the population, the food situation remains a cause for deep concern. The destruction of the local dairy factory furthermore affected children's ability to be fed properly. Western Mountains: According to LCHR's sources, Gaddafi s regime diverted a shipment of 250 tons of food aid destined to the Western Mountains areas to its storage facilities in Tripoli, in defiance to international humanitarian law, customs and morals. The regime claimed, falsely, that food was distributed to IDPs from Misrata and to populations in Yefren and the Western Mountains. This particular Gaddafi s regime diverted a shipment of 250 tons of food aid destined to the Western Mountains areas to its storage facilities in Tripoli shipment had been sent by the UN World Food Program through the Ras-Ijdir border crossing in the last week of April. Alzentan: The city suffers from severe shortage of basic food items, foremost among which are baby food, rice, pasta, cooking oil, tomato paste, salt, as well as vegetables and canned food. The two bakeries in the city are also suffering from fuel shortages and frequent power cuts. 13

15 Children: Children are considered to be the first victims of the current food crisis in the country. The problems they suffer from can be summarized as follows: - Injuries: Children were not spared from the indiscriminate shelling of residential neighbourhoods in various cities, killing many of them and leaving many others wounded. - Nutrition: The lack of baby milk is having a major impact on the feeding of infants, while the scarcity of basic food provisions affects older children. - Education: Children who are unable to go to school suffer from various psychological and behavioural problems. There is an urgent need for alternative educational programs for children. - Psychological aspects: The psychological effects of war on children begin to appear, emphasising the urgent need for rehabilitation programs. - Orphans: Due to the large number of victims, many of the children suddenly found themselves without a father, mother or both. These children are in serious need of structured programs. 14