Exodus of Berbers to southern Tunisia interrupted by border clashes
Fighting for control of a crossing point on the Tunisia-Libya border halts the exodus of ethnic Berber civilians fleeing from Libya's Western Mountains.
RAS ADJIR, Tunisia, April 29 (UNHCR) - Fighting for control of a crossing point on the Tunisia-Libya border appears to have interrupted the exodus of civilians fleeing from Libya's Western Mountains.
In Geneva, spokesperson Melissa Fleming told journalists that UNHCR was "very concerned that people fleeing Libya could be caught in the crossfire as government and opposition forces battle for control in the border area."
Before the fighting at the Dehiba crossing intensified on Thursday, UNHCR staff saw long lines of vehicles carrying ethnic Berber families waiting to cross into southern Tunisia. Dehiba is located some 200 kilometres south of the main Tunisia-Libya border crossing at Ras Adjir.
UNHCR staff were unable to visit Dehiba on Friday because of the security situation, but local partners said the queues had disappeared and nobody was crossing the border.
In the past month, more than 30,000 people have fled the fighting in the Western Mountains and crossed into Tunisia at Dehiba. More than 3,100 people crossed the border on Wednesday alone, according to UNHCR staff.
The large number of recent arrivals is straining the limited resources in the area. Camps established to shelter the refugees are filled beyond capacity. UNHCR's camp in Remada, with space for 950 people, was sheltering some 2,000 on Thursday evening.
UNHCR is reinforcing the camp to a capacity of 5,000 people. Fortunately, the vast majority of people are still being hosted by the local community. UNHCR is working with the authorities to expand the capacity of existing camps and to support host families.
In cooperation with Islamic Relief, the World Food Programme and local partners, UNHCR is planning to distribute food and non-food packages to thousands of refugees and to the local communities receiving them. The majority of new arrivals are women, children and families. UNHCR is also moving emergency supplies to the Remada area, including portable warehouses, tents, mattresses and other aid items.
Meanwhile, Fleming in Geneva said UNHCR had received reports from the Somali community in Choucha camp, near the Ras Adjir border crossing, that three Somali refugees drowned off the coast of Libya Thursday morning after an Italy-bound boat carrying some 280 Africans capsized in high seas.
The three who died were part of a larger group of 20 people who had left Choucha camp for Libya some 10 days ago in order to board boats to Europe. "These deaths add to the hundreds of people who have drowned or are missing in the desperate attempt to reach the safety of Europe from Libya," Fleming noted.
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Update No.10 on the situation in Dehiba/Remada (Southern Tunisia)
27 May 2011 ... Hillo paid a visit to Dehiba, Remada and Tataouine to assess the situation on the ground and review the needs and gaps in the assistance and protection of Libyan refugees. Dehiba border point - On 26 ...... -
Update No.8 on the situation in Dehiba/Remada (Southern Tunisia)
18 May 2011 ... Dehiba border point - On 16 May, military clashes resumed between government and opposition forces for control of Dehiba border point. Grad missiles reportedly landed as close as 500 meters from the ...... -
Update No.5 on the situation in Dehiba/Remada (Southern Tunisia)
3 May 2011 ... Dehiba border point - On 2 May, no military clashes were reported between government and opposition ... who are displaced on the moun- tains close to Dehiba were provided with food through ICRC and tents ...... -
Update No.6 on the situation in Dehiba/Remada (Southern Tunisia)
5 May 2011 ... 5 May 2011 Main developments Dehiba border point - On 5 May at 19.30 hours, military confrontations resumed on the Libyan side of Dehiba area between government and opposition forces. Shells ...... -
Update No.7 on the situation in Dehiba/Remada (Southern Tunisia)
14 May 2011 ... Registration is due to start on 15 May. Dehiba border point - Over the past week, a lower influx of Libyan refugees was observed crossing to Tunisia through Dehiba border point, with an average of 657 ...... -
Update No.9 on the situation in Dehiba/Remada (Southern Tunisia)
21 May 2011 ... Up to date, 6,000 food packages have been dispatched to the above locations for distribution. Dehiba border point - On 20 May, 419 Libyans crossed to Tunisia through Dehiba border point while 424 ...... -
Thousands of Libyans flee fighting in west into Tunisia
19 Apr 2011 ... DEHIBA, Tunisia, April 19 (UNHCR) - A growing number of Libyan refugees have been arriving in ... "This past weekend, some 6,000 Libyan nationals arrived in the Dehiba area of southern Tunisia," ...... -
Number of civilians to flee Libya's Western Mountains nears 40,000
3 May 2011 ... DEHIBA, Tunisia, May 3 (UNHCR) - Thousands of ethnic Berbers from Libya have fled into Tunisia after ... "This past weekend, more than 8,000 people, most of them ethnic Berbers, arrived in Dehiba in ...... -
Libyans flee fighting in west into Tunisia
19 Apr 2011 ... This past weekend, some 6,000 Libyan nationals arrived in the Dehiba area of southern Tunisia. ... Reportedly, the conflict was moving closer to Nalut. From the Dehiba area, pillars of black smoke ......