Since fighting began in Libya on February 15, more than 100,000 refugees have poured in Ras Jdir, the border point between Libya and Tunisia. After the crisis of the early days supply, where 80 000 Egyptians have been taken care of in emergency, humanitarian assistance and repatriation of the refugees have organized themselves.
For several days, the refugee flow dried up from 10 000 to 2,000 arrivals per day. "We do not know the reasons for it is impossible to reach the other side of the border, Saturday, March 5 explained Valerie Amos, Deputy Secretary General of the UN humanitarian affairs. Some refugees have told us that a camp was established on the Libyan side to 17 km from here by the Libyan authorities.
We do not know if they prevent refugees from leaving the country. " Echoucha camp, 14,000 Bangladeshis have joined the refugees from sub-Saharan Africa and other countries, still awaiting repatriation. The International Migration Office announced Saturday that he would coordinate their repatriation, with financial support from the European Union and other countries, including chartering four planes on Tuesday a day to Bangladesh.
Said lived and worked since 1991 as a master fisherman in Zouara, a town 50 km west of Tripoli. Noon Shoel arrived in Tripoli sixteen months ago to work in an Indian construction company, after paying 4500 dollars to an agency in Bangladesh. He left behind his parents and ten brothers and sisters.
"Two weeks ago, police and young Libyans entered the offices of the company and took 25 computers and all the money. The director of the company fled to Libya without worrying about our fate" , says he. That was four months he had not been paid. With other Bangladeshis, Mdi fled. It took twelve days to reach Ras Jdir walk.
Travel is stressful: for four days, they have nothing to eat, only water. "I had money but the markets were closed. Nobody has given us to eat in Libya," he said. "Two of us are dead on the road because of the heat, fatigue and lack of food and water," said MDI. Arrived at the Libyan border, the "Libyan police and military have taken everything, our money, our phones and our business." As proof, his empty wallet where this leaves only five dinars.
Tunisian side, the arrival of the flood of refugees of Bangladesh has been a surprise. "There was no bus. We had to walk another ten kilometers from the Tunisian border to join the camp, says MDI. We are tired, it hurts all members." But his main concern is his repatriation. For the first time, his polite smile fades.
"The government does not want us, it gives us no help. My family called the authorities and they were told they would not help us," he says. Two Bangladeshi diplomats dispatched on Friday were greeted by thousands of Bangladeshis angry. "We know nothing. We stay here, we wait. Five, six, ten, fifteen days, we do not know," concludes Mdi, imploring the aid of foreign countries.
In 2008, Raymond and Makiel left Ghana towards Tripoli, after a passage through the desert a month. "In Tripoli, we did not have much money, you worked for individuals in the building," said Makiel. "When the fighting started, one of us came here and told the others to come. Otherwise, we would be dead," he says.
"Some Ghanaians have been affected by the Libyans as they have been mistaken for mercenaries. Me, I was struck by the Libyans in Tripoli and since then I have a toothache, it's hard to swallow." Makiel and Raymond arrived on March 3 after a three-hour trip by motorcycle. "At the border, we took our business and our phones," says Raymond.
"We are about 300 Ghanaians here. Some have been there two weeks," reports Makiel. These are the lucky ones, three to four thousand Ghanaians are still in Tripoli, they said. "If you do not have a passport, you can not come here, the Libyan police will not let you pass. If you have a passport, you can take the road but it is dangerous.
We have to hide and take taxis. " "We need help. A person from Ghana came to see us take our names but since then we have no news, implores Makiel. We are sad, nobody does anything." "I left Somalia fifteen years ago at the age of 7 years on the back of my mother. We fled the war. It took months to arrive in Libya," recalled Abdul.
With fifteen others, Abdul was a restaurant and a shop in Tripoli. "When the fighting started, we were hiding and fifteen people in a two room apartment. Libyans say that Africans break into their house, but this is not true is that we're afraid. Twenty-five Somalis were detained last week.
The government has seen in a car and arrested them, "he says. In Tripoli, it remains in his 2500 Somalis, who have no money or, if they are afraid to leave. "Thursday late afternoon, the owner came with a gun and told us to depart leaving everything. Youths looted the premises. It then came to Tunisia in a private car.
We left everything to home, "recalled Abdul. They are now 45 in the camp, placed in an awkward position. "We do not want to return to Somalia. Did you see what is happening in Somalia right now? And we do not want to return to Libya because we are in danger. We want to go to a European country," pleads there.
His friend Chekhour hopes to join France. His father lives in Strasbourg for twenty years and has obtained French nationality. He had obtained a long-stay visa on January 24 at the Embassy of France in Tripoli. The war has complicated his plans. "We want the UN High Commissioner for Refugees gives us the status of refugees because there a civil war in Somalia but we did not see anyone except the camels, journalists and refugees!" Abdul indignant.
One thing is sure, he knows that his situation will not be solved quickly. "We need food, shelter and care for us, this situation is not temporary." Helen Salon 
For several days, the refugee flow dried up from 10 000 to 2,000 arrivals per day. "We do not know the reasons for it is impossible to reach the other side of the border, Saturday, March 5 explained Valerie Amos, Deputy Secretary General of the UN humanitarian affairs. Some refugees have told us that a camp was established on the Libyan side to 17 km from here by the Libyan authorities.
We do not know if they prevent refugees from leaving the country. " Echoucha camp, 14,000 Bangladeshis have joined the refugees from sub-Saharan Africa and other countries, still awaiting repatriation. The International Migration Office announced Saturday that he would coordinate their repatriation, with financial support from the European Union and other countries, including chartering four planes on Tuesday a day to Bangladesh.
Said lived and worked since 1991 as a master fisherman in Zouara, a town 50 km west of Tripoli. Noon Shoel arrived in Tripoli sixteen months ago to work in an Indian construction company, after paying 4500 dollars to an agency in Bangladesh. He left behind his parents and ten brothers and sisters.
"Two weeks ago, police and young Libyans entered the offices of the company and took 25 computers and all the money. The director of the company fled to Libya without worrying about our fate" , says he. That was four months he had not been paid. With other Bangladeshis, Mdi fled. It took twelve days to reach Ras Jdir walk.
Travel is stressful: for four days, they have nothing to eat, only water. "I had money but the markets were closed. Nobody has given us to eat in Libya," he said. "Two of us are dead on the road because of the heat, fatigue and lack of food and water," said MDI. Arrived at the Libyan border, the "Libyan police and military have taken everything, our money, our phones and our business." As proof, his empty wallet where this leaves only five dinars.
Tunisian side, the arrival of the flood of refugees of Bangladesh has been a surprise. "There was no bus. We had to walk another ten kilometers from the Tunisian border to join the camp, says MDI. We are tired, it hurts all members." But his main concern is his repatriation. For the first time, his polite smile fades.
"The government does not want us, it gives us no help. My family called the authorities and they were told they would not help us," he says. Two Bangladeshi diplomats dispatched on Friday were greeted by thousands of Bangladeshis angry. "We know nothing. We stay here, we wait. Five, six, ten, fifteen days, we do not know," concludes Mdi, imploring the aid of foreign countries.
In 2008, Raymond and Makiel left Ghana towards Tripoli, after a passage through the desert a month. "In Tripoli, we did not have much money, you worked for individuals in the building," said Makiel. "When the fighting started, one of us came here and told the others to come. Otherwise, we would be dead," he says.
"Some Ghanaians have been affected by the Libyans as they have been mistaken for mercenaries. Me, I was struck by the Libyans in Tripoli and since then I have a toothache, it's hard to swallow." Makiel and Raymond arrived on March 3 after a three-hour trip by motorcycle. "At the border, we took our business and our phones," says Raymond.
"We are about 300 Ghanaians here. Some have been there two weeks," reports Makiel. These are the lucky ones, three to four thousand Ghanaians are still in Tripoli, they said. "If you do not have a passport, you can not come here, the Libyan police will not let you pass. If you have a passport, you can take the road but it is dangerous.
We have to hide and take taxis. " "We need help. A person from Ghana came to see us take our names but since then we have no news, implores Makiel. We are sad, nobody does anything." "I left Somalia fifteen years ago at the age of 7 years on the back of my mother. We fled the war. It took months to arrive in Libya," recalled Abdul.
With fifteen others, Abdul was a restaurant and a shop in Tripoli. "When the fighting started, we were hiding and fifteen people in a two room apartment. Libyans say that Africans break into their house, but this is not true is that we're afraid. Twenty-five Somalis were detained last week.
The government has seen in a car and arrested them, "he says. In Tripoli, it remains in his 2500 Somalis, who have no money or, if they are afraid to leave. "Thursday late afternoon, the owner came with a gun and told us to depart leaving everything. Youths looted the premises. It then came to Tunisia in a private car.
We left everything to home, "recalled Abdul. They are now 45 in the camp, placed in an awkward position. "We do not want to return to Somalia. Did you see what is happening in Somalia right now? And we do not want to return to Libya because we are in danger. We want to go to a European country," pleads there.
His friend Chekhour hopes to join France. His father lives in Strasbourg for twenty years and has obtained French nationality. He had obtained a long-stay visa on January 24 at the Embassy of France in Tripoli. The war has complicated his plans. "We want the UN High Commissioner for Refugees gives us the status of refugees because there a civil war in Somalia but we did not see anyone except the camels, journalists and refugees!" Abdul indignant.
One thing is sure, he knows that his situation will not be solved quickly. "We need food, shelter and care for us, this situation is not temporary." Helen Salon
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