Whether they're Tunisian, Bangladeshi, Moroccan or Nigerian, all the residents at the Choucha refugee camp tell the same story: they left Libya fleeing the threat of a civil war, giving up the jobs that allowed them to send home precious resources.
Caught up in a popular revolt against longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi, Tunisians young and old have been streaming to the border for nearly two weeks to offer the refugees food and comfort.
But the contrast couldn’t be greater between the Egyptians, whose interim leaders have provided air lifts to take them home, and the Bangladeshis, whose government is reportedly struggling with a response to their plight. At this point no one can say for sure how many of their compatriots are still waiting to cross the border.
The road to Tunisia for Libya's refugees - the al Choucha camp | Two Tunisian workers who just crossed the Libya-Tunisia border. All day long, groups of various size and nationalities have been allowed across by Libyan soldiers, who are becoming increasingly nervous, reports say. (Photo credit – Marie Valla) On the Tunisian side, the spectacle is one of remarkable mobilisation. Students and boy scouts are there to welcome those who have fled Libya with food and water. (Photo credit – Marie Valla) Buses have been evacuating dozens of Egyptians who lived in Libya all day. They're driven straight to the Djerba airport - some 150 kilometer away - from where they’re being flown home at the expense of their government. (Photo credit – Marie Valla) Meanwhile hundreds of Bangladeshis have no choice but to walk the seven kilometres to the al Choucha camp from the border.(Photo credit – Marie Valla) Bangladesh doesn’t have an embassy in Tunisia, but the government is trying to organise the repatriation of its nationals. Of the approximate 12,000 Bangladeshis currently staying in the refugee camp, only 600 have been repatriated so far. (Photo credit – Marie Valla) Thanks to Telecom without Border, a French NGO, refugees can talk to their relatives for three minutes at a time for free. However, the Bangladesh telephone connection is difficult. (Photo credit – Marie Valla) Imaimuddin (centre) is from Bangladesh. Due to the chaotic situation in Libya, he has not been paid his wages by the Libyan managers at the Chinese company he worked for. He does not know when he’ll be able to go home. (Photo credit – Marie Valla) Queen, 22, from Nigeria, is one of the few women at the al Choucha refugee camp. She had been running a small beauty parlor in Zouara for three years. She left everything and fled after fearing the worst on hearing Gaddafi’s speech on television. Julio Pereira, 36, is from Guinea Bissau. He left home and worked in construction in Libya. Sub –Saharan Africans are often under suspicion of belonging to Gaddafi’s mercenaries. (Photo credit – Marie Valla) Malika, a 55-year-old Moroccan, enjoyed living in Libya where she worked as a cleaning lady at the Zouara hospital. She became alarmed by TV reports and was escorted to the border by a Libyan friend. (Photo credit – Marie Valla) Doctor Fathi Chouk, a Tunisian from Mahdia, brings drugs and other medical supplies to the al Choucha refugee camp for the second time in two weeks. He says the new found freedom in Tunisia inspired him to lend a hand. (Photo credit – Marie Valla) It’s the fear of what might happen to Libya rather the actual violence that drove the thousands of refugees to escape western Libya. This might explain why the few children at the refugee camp do not appear to be traumatised, says Wafa, a Tunisian psychologist. (Photo c There’s more than enough food and water at the camp thanks, in part, to donations from Tunisians. But a lack of coordination is hampering efforts.(Photo credit – Marie Valla) Major Colonel Mohammed Essoussi has been supervising the camp since it opened 12 days ago. NGOs like UNICEF have praised the camp. Essoussi, however, has just found out that he is being replaced.(Photo credit – Marie Valla) | |
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