MSF: Europe must accept boat people fleeing Libya
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Médecins Sans Frontières' teams are aiding victims of the war in Libya in Italy (Lampedusa), Libya (Misrata, Benghazi and Zintan) and Tunisia. They are daily witnesses to the impact of the conflict on civilians.
MSF's activities include:
Lampedusa (Italy)
• MSF looks after the triage of patients at the port and their medical follow-up in the island's detention and reception centres. It has also taken on the role of evaluating their living conditions and access to healthcare in the centres located in Italy. As of now, around 11,175 migrants and asylum seekers fleeing the conflict in Libya have reached Italy.
• Since February 2011, MSF has conducted more than 1,700 medical consultations for migrants and refugees in Lampedusa and has provided them with a total of 2,500 hygiene kits, 4,500 blankets and 3,500 bottles of water.
Libya
• MSF teams have been present in Libya since 24 February and are currently working in Zintan, Misrata and Benghazi.
• In Misrata, about 20 MSF staff have been providing surgical and medical care in three hospitals (Al Abbad, Kasr Ahmed and Ras Tuba) since 18 April and are working to increase the number of patients these hospitals can treat.
• In Benghazi, MSF is providing support to the two central pharmacies by supplying essential medicines. MSF has also assessed the situation of families who have been displaced around Benghazi because of the conflict. The team now plans to start activities in Al Bayda camp where 900 families have sought refuge. MSF is also continuing to provide support to the Benghazi medical committee on caring for victims of sexual and gender-based violence, including how to deliver psychological support. It is also continuing its support to patients with chronic diseases through bringing in drugs for HIV and TB patients.
• Since 30 April, an MSF team has been providing support to medical staff at Zintan hospital, a city in western Libya (southwest of Tripoli), in order to cope with the large numbers of wounded. About a hundred wounded people have been admitted to Zintan hospital since early May following fighting between pro-Gaddafi forces and rebels.
Tunisia
• MSF psychologists have been providing mental health support since March to people who have fled the Libyan conflict and sought refuge in camps near the border. So far, more than 4,000 consultations have been provided.
Since early April, more than 40,000 Libyan families have crossed the Tunisian border to flee the violence in their country. MSF is running mobile clinics so as to provide psychological care to the refugees, who are staying in relocation centres, clinics and with host families along the road from Dehiba to Tataouine. MSF is also providing support to health facilities in the areas where refugees have relocated so as to help local medical staff cope with the increased number of patients coming for consultations.
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