Islamic Relief aid worker, Salah Aboulgasem, described the situation on the ground: “People have constructed make-shift shelters for the time being. Some are made from plastic sheets, whereas others used whatever resources they could find around them such as canvases or trees. Thousands of people literally have nowhere else to turn to. All they can do is sit and wait for the events to unfold. No matter what direction you look, all you can see is an endless sea of faces.
“Those on the Libyan side were just praying they would be of the next group allowed into Tunisia, whereas those on the Tunisian side were looking around trying to figure out where to go from there. One man I spoke to told us that he had been there for nine days and had nothing but the clothes he was wearing.”
You can follow Salah’s experience on the ground on his blog, on Islamic Relief UK's website.
In the past two days, Islamic Relief has 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. Islamic Relief has also set up a transitional camp, with 12 tents that can give between 300 and 350 people a dry and warm place to rest. It’s expected that the number of available tents will double later today, and the team is working to prevent the outbreak of disease by making sure the area around the camp is cleaned.
Aid workers are also working with the local authorities to ensure that injured, sick or wounded people are taken by ambulance to nearby hospitals.
Earlier in the week, Islamic Relief delivered a convoy of medical supplies and food staples to Benghazi, in the east of the country. The city will act as a regional hub for the distribution of medical supplies. Together with the Red Crescent Libya, Islamic Relief will make sure aid is available to Libya’s most vulnerable, regardless of political affiliation.
Islamic Relief’s emergency appeal for the Middle East and North Africa region aims to provide humanitarian aid to those fleeing Libya, as well as development projects in neighbouring Egypt and Tunisia according to development needs. Please donate today.