Libyan Humanitarian Crisis Must Be Urgently Addressed

LIBYAN HUMANITARIAN CRISIS MUST BE URGENTLY ADDRESSED

On Saturday 26 February, the Libyan ambassador at the UN, Ibrahim Dabasshi told the world "It is difficult to tell how many [are dead] in Tripoli - because when someone is killed, they come and take the body - also when they are injured…the wounded were also taken out of hospital by security and mercenaries…"

An Al-Jazeera source, who was shot in the leg with rubber bullets on Friday 25 February said: Tripoli is a civil city no weapons here; we just fight with stones, even the ambulances are full of mercenaries ... you have to sign a document that you agree that your son/daughter was killed by protesters or they won't release the body ... lot of people have gone missing ... kidnapped from outside their houses, people paid 7000 dinars to kidnap ... my friends were shot by snipers on Friday ... they died, and an old man died in front of him as well ...around 40,000 people were protesting ... there many snipers around -i have videos, but they are after me - they will catch me.

The Red Cross has launched an appeal for more than US$6million for medical assistance.
Médecins Sans Frontières medical team inside Libya attempted to reach health facilities trying to cope with high numbers of injured people, BUT some MSF team carrying medical supplies, including kits for treating war-related injuries, have been blocked for two days at the Tunisian border. Another team reached Tripoli but was denied entry to the country and had to turn back. "All information we receive points towards a critical situation in terms of medical care for the injured," said Arjan Hehenkamp, MSF’s director of operations. MSF managed to cross from Egypt into Libya yesterday, with a truckload of medical supplies, attempting to reach areas where health facilities have reported many wounded people and severe supply shortages. Travel by road to the capital, Tripoli, where medical needs are estimated to be immense, is said to be almost impossible for now due to insecurity.

Save the Children, are concerned at reports that children have been killed in a violent crackdown on anti-government protestors by Libyan security forces, and are particularly concerned that tens of thousands more could be displaced if fighting between security forces and anti-government protestors intensifies.

The UN's World Food Programme says Libya's food supply chain is at risk of collapsing, as imports are not reaching ports and distribution around the country is reportedly hampered by violence.

The idea of a no-fly zone was removed from the Franco-British draft resolution and it was NOT discussed at a NATO meeting in Brussels. BUT, more than 200 Arab organizations and around 30 Arab intellectuals appealed for a no-fly zone over Libya. Hana Elgallal, a legal and human rights expert in Benghazi, said some in Libya will be disappointed that the UN did not impose a no-fly zone. "I'm one person who was hoping that we'd get that," she told Al Jazeera. We will not be able to move and help Tripoli because of the fear that he will use his planes.

A statement from "The Network of Free Ulema - Libya", a collection of Muslim religious scholars and intellectuals, calling for humanitarian aid - but rejecting international military action:

To the religious leaders of all faiths, to the political leaders of all countries, to the heads of all international organizations, and to all men and women of goods will. As servants of the brave and dignified Libyan people, the Muslim Scholars and the Tribal leaders of Libya are united in informing you of the following:

We are grateful for all the great efforts that are now being made to stop the massacre of our people. However, we urge you to please hurry and redouble your efforts. We have already lost thousands of our brave youth, and the injured are now in the many thousands.

Please urgently send into Libya as much medical and humanitarian aid as possible. The Egyptian-Libya border, Benghazi Port, and Misrata Port are now open, and we urge Libyans inside and outside the country to help in every way they can with logistics and distribution. We very much appreciate the early response from Turkey and from the International Red Cross/red Crescent in this regard.

Internationally, we expect all punitive measures to be directed at Gaddafi personally, and his family members, close associates, and their mercenaries, and any other complicit parties.

We do NOT support ‘sanctions against Libya’, or anything against Libya. All actions and measures should be against Gaddafi himself, his family, their close associates, and their mercenaries. Judicially these criminals have no official government position, and DO NOT constitute the Libyan government. They have NO immunity. The approach which should be taken by those trying to help us is that of urgently issuing International Arrest Warrants for clearly committing crimes against humanity, to be pursued by the International Criminal Court.