As the conditions in Libya worsen, the need for humanitarian relief work to aide refugees near the border becomes extremely important every day. Working with volunteer organizations here at the border, my duty and responsibility is to report on the work being done by myself and others here while doing my best to shed as much light on the daily struggles of the Libyan people near the border.

16 May 2011

Refugee Camps Improving, Remada Still a Concern

Upon arriving in the Dehiba Region of Tunisia, your automatically blown away by the change of climate to a dry scorching heat wave. The road to Dehiba from our hotel in Zarzis is desolate and every twenty kilometer stretch is met with a checkpoint patrol, but making it to Dehiba was no where near as stressful as the reality that hits you as you enter the camps.

The first camp I visited with my fellow volunteers was the UAE managed Dehiba Camp. The guards at the gate check our passports and as soon as green passport is flashed, talks of politics and our perspectives on the revolution going on in Libya are immediately brought up. We explain that politics is not the nature of our visit and emphasize that our arrival is purely for the sake of humanitarian needs of our country's people.

The lot in front of the camp is filled with cars and trucks parked there for weeks now as the families are settled in large sturdy tents. The first row of tents houses the older men who, at the moment of our arrival, were out on mattresses under the shade of their tent-flaps. They greet us with smiles and a slight sense of curiosity that gives you the impression they have come to expect all sorts of visitors with different intentions. We sit with them and converse about things such as the food they have been served and the services provided. On the most part they expressed no real concerns and seemed content with the on-going support of the UAE group. Children are seen playing near the tent-site and smile as we pass by, for them, the realities either havent sunk in or they're simply far too young to understand.

We travel another 50 km to a small town named Remada. Here we find a camp organized by a Tunisian group named Attaouin working alongside the UNHCR and Islamic Relief. Although it represents a culmination of efforts, this camp unfortunately requires the most immediate attention. Tents are ragged and flimsy, the toilets are scarce and of low quality, and the children are present in high numbers. A large tent contains stacks of water bottles and supplies, but it remains open to the heat and the water is left to boil.

It's not all bad news however, Islamic Relief has managed to pitch up a few educational activity tents for the children and this has done much in relieving the stress bared by the parents. Attaouin have enough tents to accomodate many more refugees but there remains a gap in information that we could not extract from individuals living in the tents; mainly women refugees. We hope that in the next few days we can work with local groups in getting right into the tents and get some clues as to whether stories of rape and kidnapping are more than just rumours. With this information we can move forward in providing sufficient therapy and medical assistance as a part of our relief work.


Tomorrow we will be visiting some hospitals and homes said to housing more Libyan families in Djerba and Susah. More to follow soon.

1 comment:

  1. Stay safe and strong brother! Its amazing what you and the Libyan people are accomplishing. Soon there will be freedom due to your courage and combined efforts.

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