Humanitarian Crisis in Libya

Tens of thousands of people are continuing to flee the violence in Libya, and the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) says the situation on the Libya-Tunisian border is reaching crisis point.

Vast numbers of people, mostly migrant workers, have fled Libya since the uprising.

Baitulmaal has initiated the relief operation with an arrangment to dispatch a team, Medical aid and basic food supplies are being arranged to be shipped and delivered to the Libya-Tunisian border.

When I visited the Libyan-Egyptian border, refugee camps have been set by the United Nation to shelter thousands of people fleeing the crisis, the majority are foreign workers from Africa. (Baitulmaal's Executive Director said when he visited the border last week), Genrous individuals, groups and organizations from Egypt loading their vehicls and trailers with all kind of humanitarian supplies, driving up the mountain from the border city "Sallum" to the crossing border where the camps are and then to the nearest Libyan villages.

The Egyptian officials briefed us on the situation and said despite the daily flow of supplies, yet more are needed to fulfill the needs of the residents of the Libyan villages who, now depend on Allah azawajal then on the supplies they receive through the Egyptian border.

The amazing view is the generousity of the residents of the Egyptian border city Sallum, they have established a welcome areas, accourding to the mayer (Alumdah) Sheikh Saeed, every house hold in the village must provide a meal for certain numbers of refugees crossed the border from Libya and did not want to stay in the camp.

Meals and free rooms are provided for those who wish to stay in the village, but most of them (Libyans) eat and keep going on no-fee buses to Alexandria or Cairo. The mayer added that the residents of Sallum are in need to be relieved from the daily responsibility and asked the organizations to help in providing the daily ready meals.

Urgent action is needed to avert the humanitarian crisis, Medical aid, basic food and drinking water are the major needs to help and assist the people of Libya and others who are fleeing the crisis. UN is expecting the number of people fleeing the crisis including libyans to reach one million refugees.

Baitulmaal is calling the generous donors to participate in the relief effort and donate toward this cause, any amount is always appreciated and rewarded inshaAllah.