UN humanitarian chief demands urgent access to Libyan city of Misrata

UN humanitarian chief demands urgent access to Libyan city of Misrata

2011-03-07 03:56:04 GMT+7 (ICT)

NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) -- A top United Nations relief official on Sunday called for urgent humanitarian access to Misrata in western Libya following reports of violence and killings in the area.

"Humanitarian organizations need urgent access now. People are injured and dying and need help immediately," said Valerie Amos. "I call on the authorities to provide access without delay to allow aid workers to help save lives."

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it has received reports that Misrata is under attack by Government forces and that the Libyan Red Crescent is trying to get ambulances in from the capital, Tripoli, to collect the dead and injured.

Amos, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, traveled to the Tunisia-Libya border on Saturday to review the ongoing relief effort for people fleeing Libya amid the recent violence.

Since Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi started the violent repression of protesters demanding his ouster several weeks ago, over 100,000 people, many of them migrant workers, have fled to Tunisia, and a similar number to Egypt.

OCHA said that since Libyan authorities took control of the border crossing into Tunisia, the number of people crossing has dropped to several hundred per day, compared to about 20,000 at its peak several days ago.

People crossing the border have reported that they have faced intimidation as they have tried to leave Libya. Amos stressed that freedom of movement is a fundamental human right that must be respected under all circumstances.

During her visit to the border areas, she thanked Governments, aid agencies, host families and communities in neighbouring countries, especially Tunisia and Egypt, for their support to those leaving Libya.

On Monday in Geneva, Amos will launch the regional flash appeal covering Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and Niger. It will focus on the border areas, population movements, humanitarian needs, security, health, water, protection and communication, and will cover a three-month period.

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