‎ Libya Relief : The Humanitarian needs in Tunisia

The Humanitarian needs in Tunisia

1)    Housing – fortunately, due to the generosity of the Tunisian people, approximately 40% of the refugees are living with Tunisian families. However, housing poses an expensive problem, especially during the summer season and in popular tourist areas such as Tunis, Djerba, Soussa etc.

The cost per flat per month is around 500 TD.

At the present time, the number of Libyans fleeing from Tripoli, Zawwiya and Zuarra is rising on a daily basis. The number of refugees is in excess of 100,000 people.

2)    Food Distribution – most aid groups provide  a box of basic food provisions. The box is designed to feed a family of six people per week. The box costs 40 TD. At present, the number of families receiving this aid is over 10,000 families.

3)    Medical Assistance For Refugees – this area is not very well addressed due to the rising numbers of refugees situated in so many different areas. Also, promised help from other international aid agencies and Tunisian aid agencies such as the Red Crescent is unreliable and in some cases non-existent. There is a huge lack of the provision of medication for life long illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, kidney disease etc. this is in addition to medication required for emergencies.

At the present time, we are forced to buy expensive medicines from Tunisian pharmacies which is obviously have a huge impact on our overall budget for humanitarian aid.

4)    The injured and disabled victims of the conflict – This is a major area in desperate need of urgent assistance. Our injured men, women and children need to be cared for properly and fully. When I was in Tunisia over the last two weeks, some clinics refused to accept patients in dire need of treatment unless payment was received in advance of any treatment. This refusal is a direct result of debts and unpaid medical bills of over 300,000 TD. However, this problem was partially resolved when several businessmen paid part of the outstanding bills in order for the clinics to accept more patients.

One of the main aims of this charity dinner is to raise awareness and funds to continue to provide assistance to those who have been injured in this horrendous conflict.

5)    Psychological help and rehabilitation – This area has so far received very little attention. The women and children have been exposed to great horror and trauma and are yet to receive any form of specialized help and assistance to help them to deal with their horrific experiences.

An overview of the general situation

1)    There is a great and urgent need for comprehensive coordination between aid agencies working on the ground in all areas of humanitarian assistance to avoid duplication and to reach everyone.

2)    Providers of medical aid should coordinate with the major aid agencies operating in each area to provide medical help for those refugees on their lists.

3)    The implementation of a data-base system, which has already been designed by Al Karama group, in order to have a comprehensive record of all refugees, the assistance they require and what assistance they have received.

4)    Greater coordination between aid agencies and groups to prevent anyone profiteering from the situation and to ensure funds and provisions simply do not “disappear” into a black hole.