March 2012
It has been fourteen months since uprisings began across the Middle
East. Islamic Relief has been supporting civilians affected by
displacement, violence and food shortages since the beginning.
Yemen
Islamic Relief is focusing on helping Yemenis tackle the malnutrition crises by providing regular monthly food packages with rice, oil, beans, flour and sugar to displaced families in the regions of Hajja, Sana’a , Amran and Sa’ada as well as planning for livelihood, WASH and food security activities in Hodeidah governorate..
In Aden, Arhab, Abyan, displaced people have received food packages as well as hygiene items such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, soap, towels and nail cutters. They also received boardgames, balls and children’s toys.
We also provided four schools with kitchen supplies including ovens, gas cylinders and cooking pots.
Libya
At the outbreak of the conflict, Islamic Relief was the first international aid agency to assist civilians in the east of Libya, providing 20 tonnes of medical aid and baby milk in Benghazi, as well as over 600 hygiene kits. We also organised hygiene campaigns and a fun-day of arts, crafts and games for children.
Islamic Relief distributed hygiene items to families returning to Jdabia and Misrata, where we also distributed 5,000 kilograms of medical aid, over 5,000 boxes of clothing and more than 35,000kg of food, working with the World Food Programme.We also provided x-ray machines and anaesthetic equipment to Nalut Hospital in western Libya, and to other health clinics in the region.
Islamic Relief also manages the UNHCR camp for nationals of a third country in Tripoli which at its peak hosted 1,200 people, where we hygiene kits and supply three meals a day. The camp, like most in Libya, is located on an abandoned construction site, where residents live in pre-existing barracks, not tents. Between September and January, we employed around 35 residents of the camp in a cash-for-work scheme to clean the camp areas and cook for residents of the camp. A further 60 camp residents were employed during December to clean local public areas including riverbanks and roadsides.
Over the winter we provided primary schools in Sirte and the Nafusa Mountains with winter coats.
Tunisia
Islamic Relief manages Choucha camp, near the Libyan border, where we carried out health and sanitation activities, as well as distributions of food, hygiene kits and water. At its peak, Choucha camp hosted 18,000 people.
Islamic Relief distributed food packages at the Ras Ajdir border crossing between February and July 2011. Working at the beginning of the crisis, we distributed water, bread, cheese and cakes, as well as hygiene kits to those fleeing the conflict. Dehibat border crossing experienced the highest number of Libyans crossing into Tunisia. In April, Islamic Relief was the only aid agency to set up a distribution point on the border, providing food to those fleeing the violence.
The city of Tataouine has hosted up to 45,000 people fleeing the conflict at any one time, a number which is constantly changing. Many Tunisians have taken to hosting Libyan families. Islamic Relief distributes food to nearly 3,000 families every week, in coordination with the Swedish International Development Coordination Agency (SIDA). Working on a joint Ramadan distribution with UNHCR and other agencies, Islamic Relief also provided rice, sugar, milk and soup to 40,000 people throughout Tunisia during the month of Ramadan.
Egypt
Islamic Relief helped to repatriate 177 Egyptians to their home country during the start of the Tunisian uprising.
We also provided 2,000 families with food parcels during the curfew, which prevented Egyptians from earning their usual wages. One hundred families in the town of Ayyat received a sponsorship of $60 per month to help them pay for education, food and healthcare.
Islamic Relief Egypt also provided support to people feeling the violence in Libya. We delivered 10,000 prepared meals to people stuck at the Egyptian border area in Salloum, Egypt. We also provided nearly 2,000 packs of dates and 1,300 boxes of water for people crossing the border, to help keep their energy up.
At the outbreak of the Libyan uprising we provided three trucks loaded with baby milk, medical equipment and medicines to the Libyan Red Crescent in Benghazi. We also delivered over 66 tonnes of food, medicine and baby milk via cargo ship from Alexandria, Egypt to Misrata, Libya.
In February 2012, Islamic Relief was handed management of the UN Refugee Agency’s Saloum camp, in western Egypt, which houses 2,000 people who fled violence in neighbouring Libya.
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July 2011
Islamic Relief has delivered over £500,000 worth of medicines and equipment to hospitals in the western mountain cities of Zintan, Jado, Yefren, Kikl, Kaba and Nalout.
8,000 food packs have been delivered in the western mountain cities and 4,000 hygiene kits.
60,000 liters of diesel has been sent to Zintan hospitals to help operate the generators of the hospitals and ambulances.
Islamic Relief has provided transportation for doctors to work on the Libyan refugees in Tataouin, Zarzis, Ramad and Dhebba.
15,000 cans of baby milk has been delivered to Zintan, Jado, Al Rhebat, Al Rujban, Kikla and also, in the coastal cities of Zawia and Zwara.
7,500 of baby nappies has been shipped from Tunisia to Misrata and distributed by the Libyan Red Crescent.
The medical cost for 58 refugees in a Tunisian hospital were paid for by Islamic Relief
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Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Tunisia
The Choucha refugee camp now has about 4000 people living in it. At the Dehiba crossing we are now seeing Libyans crossing over into Tunisia. We are also seeing people cross the border from illegal points, cue up on the Tunisian side, get the correct paperwork and then continue into Tunisia.
We are witnessing mainly families’ crossing over the Dehiba border crossing which is now under the control of anti-Gaddafi forces. In the Ramada refugee camp, there are around 1,000 thousand people, the majority of whom are Libyan families. IRW is running child protection activities in this camp. IRW has two tents where we run nursery school classes and offer a safe environment for young children to play.
Ramada refugee camp
In Ramada camp we are working on child protection, creating child friendly zones, activities such as teaching and fun activities we are also planning to conduct exams, this is to help minimise the disruption to the children’s education.
Tataouine
Islamic Relief has been distributing food parcels in the Tunisian city of Tataouine and surrounding areas. Food parcels are enough to keep a family sufficed for about a week. Tataouine is seeing an increased number of refugees as border towns reach maximum capacity. The refugees are moving into northern Tunisia as far as Gabes. We have also distributed hygiene kits to those arriving in the city. There are over 40,000 Libyans in Tataouine. IRW has already distributed around 3,000 food packs in the city.
Inside Libya
Islamic Relief supported the delivery of medical supplies to Zintan hospital inside Libya. This included the provision of 2 X-Ray machines and an anaesthetic machine.
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Tuesday, 26 April 2011:
Islamic Relief has heard reports of intense fighting in the Nafusa mountain region of Libya. The Dehiba border crossing is now open. Since its opening we have witnessed an increased number of Libyan families fleeing the fighting and escaping to Tunisia.
Islamic relief has been distributing vital food items to the Libyan families crossing into Tunisia. Many Libyans told Islamic Relief that they had fled from the city of Nalut which is in the Nafusa mountain region. These accounts are confirmed by a recent OCHA (United Nations office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) report which indicates that three quarters of Nalut’s population has left the city as a result of the fighting. We anticipate more Libyan families will be arriving in Tunisia. Islamic Relief has been distributing hundreds of food packets and we hope to continue food distribution in the following days.
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Monday, 11 April 2011:
In the last few weeks we have seen political defections, international intervention and further fighting inside Libya.
We have so far witnessed nearly half a million people leaving the country. Some cities are besieged and are in need of vital humanitarian aid.
We continue to work on the Tunisia-Libya border managing the Shousha camp, where over 7,000 people currently reside. We have completed the construction of 75 latrines.
Inside Libya we have distributed food and hygiene kits as well as food sufficient for a family for three days, sanitary pads for women and baby diapers.
In the next few days we will be sending £100,000 pounds worth of medical supplies on a convoy to the besieged city of Misrata. The ship will leave the port of Alexandria in Egypt on 14 April. We have been liaising with the Misrata medical committee to find out exactly what is needed.
We are also continuing our efforts to repatriate foreign workers stranded in Tunisia. Islamic Relief has already helped over 300 workers return to Egypt and we are hoping to help a further 500 in due course.
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Wednesday, 6 April 2011:
We are now managing the Shosha camp on the Tunisia/Libya border on behalf of UNHCR. That means we are responsible for managing a further 105 labourers as well as taking on the heavy machinery used to maintain the camp. We are also managing the warehouse, to make sure that supplies are safely stored and properly distributed.
The latest figures indicate that more than 7,000 people are still living in the camp.
We have completed the construction of 75 latrines, and our construction method is being used by others as a model.
IRW continues to make sure staff in the field are properly supported, receiving the latest training and assistance from our International Office.
We’ve also been chartering flights to repatriate migrant workers stranded in Tunisia. So far, two flights have allowed almost 400 people to return to their home country of Egypt.
We are inside Libya, coordinating with other agencies and establishing the humanitarian needs on the ground.
We’ve also recently distributed essential food and hygiene items through the local scout leaders in Jdabia.
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Thursday, 17 March 2011:
On the eastern border, Islamic Relief has completed its intervention regarding the delivery of medical supplies. We've also deployed staff to Benghazi to link in with networks and partners to establish the humanitarian needs in and around the city.
Together with partners including the Egyptian Food Bank, the UNHCR and Egyptian Red Crescent, we've also distributed water and food staples - including dried dates, cheese, meat, bread, and high-nutrition biscuits.
To the west, in conjunction with UNHCR, we are managing Shosha Camp. It is in Tunisia on the border with Libya, and is supporting around 14,000 people who have fled Libya. Our current activities include:
* Building latrines, showers and installing hand washing taps
* Distribution of 2,000 food packets and 2,000 hygiene packs every day
* Setting up a family zone within the camp to shelter those with children
* In coordination with IOM, coordinating the repatriation of Bengali migrant workers
* Setting up a medical tent that currently treats around 500 patients per day
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Thursday, 3 March 2011:
The humanitarian crisis on the western side of Libya and is rapidly increasing. Around 14,000 refugees crossed the border in to Tunisia yesterday alone, and Islamic Relief is working hard to meet the needs of those fleeing the country. Our team of 50 staff and volunteers on the border with Tunisia and Libya, are focussing on nutrition, shelter and sanitation.
In the past two days, we’ve distributed 44,500 food parcels and water, as well as 5,000 hygiene kits, which include shampoo and soap. 50 people have also received warm clothing, including shoes, jackets and trousers.
We’ve also set up a transitional camp, with 12 tents that can give between 300 and 350 people a dry and warm place to rest. We’re hoping to double the number of tents later today, and we’re making sure the area around the camp is cleaned to prevent the outbreak of disease. Our team has also been working with the local authorities to ensure that injured, sick or wounded people are taken by ambulance to nearby hospitals.
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Tuesday, 1 March 2011:
Our emergency response team, on the ground in east Libya, has delivered a convoy of medical supplies and food staples to Benghazi. The city will act as a regional hub for the distribution of medical supplies. Together with the Red Crescent Libya, we’ve made sure aid is available to Libya’s most vulnerable, regardless of political affiliation. The humanitarian situation in the east of the country is challenging, with concerns that fighting and conflict may intensify, but is now not currently acute.
Meanwhile, Islamic Relief aid workers on the Tunisian border are witnessing firsthand the growing international refugee crisis. The Tunisian Government has declared that its borders are open to people of all nationalities escaping violence in neighbouring Libya. Islamic Relief is preparing to strengthen its emergency operation in Tunisia. We’re working with the UNHCR and other agencies to make sure that aid is delivered efficiently and is targeted to the most vulnerable people. So far, around 5,500 people have received emergency aid upon reaching Tunisia. Aid items distributed include food packs, water, personal hygiene kits and nappies and wet wipes for babies.
In Egypt, we’re also preparing to provide health assistance to the poorest families, working with partners at the health cluster in Cairo.
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Monday, 28 February 2011:
Four trucks of medical supplies, and two trucks containing food staples – including 4,800 packets of baby milk – have been delivered by Islamic Relief, to Benghazi. The city, the second largest in Libya, will act as a regional hub for the distribution of medical supplies. We’ve been working closely with the Red Crescent Libya, to ensure that the supplies reach those that need it the most.
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Friday, 25 February 2011:
A convoy of medical supplies and milk for babies, worth $ 45,000 is on the way to Benghazi, eastern Libya.
10 doctors, volunteers from Egypt, will be working in the Libyan hospitals in liaison with the Libyan Medical Syndicate.
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Thursday, 24 February 2011:
Islamic Relief has been monitoring the situation in Libya closely and has deployed a team to the border between Libya and Egypt to provide humanitarian assistance.
IRW, which has been working in neighbouring Egypt for over 10 years, will provide emergency shelter and food packs for people fleeing the violence, and medical aid to the injured. The team will also seek to set up transit camps offering a place to rest, pray and make emergency telephone calls to loved ones at the border.
Your donations to the Middle East and North Africa appeal will support this emergency response, and help us support some of the poorest families in Egypt too. With your help, we aim to provide food to Egypt’s poorest families, support livelihoods and education and establish a training centre. With projects that tackle the root causes of poverty, it is hoped that benefits will be reaped for years to come. We’ll also be assessing the humanitarian situation in Tunisia with a view to humanitarian intervention.
Islamic Relief Egypt provides food to vulnerable families and cares for orphans and vulnerable children. We also run a rehabilitation centre for children living with disabilities in Helwan, near Cairo.
Islamic Relief is a neutral organisation that has provided humanitarian assistance to people in need, for more than 26 years. Our Islamic values inspire us to provide help to those most in need of assistance, regardless of race, gender, or religious belief, and without expecting anything in return.
Please donate to our Middle East and North Africa appeal today.