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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Tensions on Libya-Tunisia border stem outflow of refugees
29 Apr 2011 ... Escalated fighting at the Dehiba border crossing between Libya and Tunisia has stopped the outflow ... The large number of recent arrivals is straining the limited resources at the Dehiba border region ...... -
Hundreds of Libyan Berbers flee Western Mountains and head to Tunisia
12 Apr 2011 ... Western Mountains and sought shelter in the Dehiba area of south-east Tunisia over the past week. ... He noted that Dehiba was located about 200 kilometres south of Ras Adjir, the border crossing where ...... -
Ethnic Berbers flee conflict in western Libya, reach Tunisia
12 Apr 2011 ... Mountains region and sought shelter in the Dehiba area of southern Tunisia, some 200 kilometres ... Youth hostels in Dehiba and Tataouine further west are also being used to shelter families. A school ...... -
Libya: Thousands flee to Tunisia; new boats reach Italy
3 May 2011 ... This past weekend, more than 8,000 people, most of them ethnic Berbers, arrived in Dehiba in ... The storm has destroyed hundreds of tents and two huge portable warehouses. Control of the Dehiba ...... -
Exodus of Berbers to southern Tunisia interrupted by border clashes
29 Apr 2011 ... 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 ...... -
Update No.23 on the humanitarian situation in Libya and the neighbouring countries
3 May 2011 ... ... Other third country nationals 46.5% South Tunisia/Dehiba: The exodus from Libya’s Western ... This past weekend, more than 8,000 people, mostly ethnic Berbers, arrived in Dehiba in southern ...... -
Update No.25 on the humanitarian situation in Libya and the neighbouring countries
18 May 2011 ... or see the reason, to access UNHCR. TUNISIA Dehiba, Remada (Tataouine Governorate) Some 55,000 ... Over the past few days, heavy shelling was reported on the Libyan side of the Dehiba border and Grad ...... -
Update No.27 on the humanitarian situation in Libya and the neighbouring countries
3 Jun 2011 ... ... Dehiba, Remada (Tataouine Governorate) The Dehiba border crossing currently remains under the control of the rebel forces on the Libyan side. 1,418 Libyan refugees are hosted in camps in Tatouine ...... -
Update No.29 on the humanitarian situation in Libya and the neighbouring countries
15 Jun 2011 ... ... Other third country nationals 25.5% People of concern to UNHC R 74.5% Dehiba, Remada (Tataouine Governorate) Armed clashes are ongoing on the Libyan side of Dehiba border between Government and rebel ......