News

NEW YORK/TUNISIA/HONG KONG, 3 March 2011 – Over 100,000 have fled Libya to Tunisia and Egypt to date, and as concern mounts over the influx of returnees and migrant workers to Tunisia, UNICEF is mobilising staff and relief supplies to the western and eastern borders of Libya. The organisation also issued an Immediate Needs Documenttoday, requesting HK$56 million (US$7.2 million) to address the urgent needs of children and women affected by the crisis in Libya.

UNICEF Charter flights are expected to reach the two neighbouring capitals in the coming days with over 160 metric tons of supplies to address immediate humanitarian needs on the Egyptian and Tunisian borders, and are being pre-positioned for a possible response within Libya. Initial supplies, including hygiene kits, nutrition items and recreation and psycho-social relief items have been given priority. While numbers of families crossing the border into Tunisia are reported as relatively low to date, UNICEF is concerned that within Libya, children and women have been severely affected by the unrest.

UNICEF Director of Emergency Operations, Mr. Louis-Georges Arsenault arrived yesterday in Tunisia to meet with government authorities, UN agencies and the National Red Crescent to discuss the humanitarian needs resulting from the unrest in Libya. Mr Arsenault will travel to Ras Jdir, on the Tunisia – Libya border on Wednesday to meet with people who have fled the unrest in Libya. He will also meet with aid officials and local authorities to discuss the needs of those at the Tunisian border.