Islamic Relief aid worker Moustafa Osman has returned to the UK, to report on the humanitarian response to the Libya crisis. As part of our emergency response, Moustafa's time in the field has seen the delivery of a convoy of aid to Benghazi, in east Libya, as well as the establishment of a transitional camp for the many thousands of people fleeing the country to Tunisia in the west.
The last thing I was expecting was to go to Tunisia on a humanitarian mission because Tunisia is a well known as a tourist destination. I have dreamt about visiting the country on a holiday to enjoy the sun, beach and delicious Mediterranean food. I had led regional disaster management training in one of the resorts not that long ago but this time, I came face to face with over 100,000 people in great need.
These people were mainly migrant workers of different nationalities (Egyptians, Bengalis, Philippinos, Vietnamese, Sudanese, etc) fleeing Libya as a result of the war between Gaddafi’s regime and those calling for reform and change. This is a political conflict; there is no doubt about that. The result in this case, however, is a humanitarian catastrophe with more than two million people affected. As well as the thousands of Libyans that are continuing to be affected by this crisis there are also many poor migrant workers who have been working in Libya to help their families and possibly extended families back home. Some had to flee their work in Libya in a big rush, leaving behind all their savings (and often their passports) but they are all hopeful to be united with their loved ones back home.
I have heard many stories from these migrant workers who have been trying to flee the country. Most of them who have reached the Tunisian border find themselves exhausted, tired and hungry. A few of them collapsed soon after reaching the safety of the border, despite their young age. One Bengali national, for example, died on the Tunisian border and another died on the Egyptian border due to extreme tiredness, hunger and cold. Such a waste!
The response of the Tunisian people has been outstanding, as they have provided them with whatever they could offer, such as food, water and medicine. All necessities were provided in huge quantities, to the extent that food and medicines started to go out of date, rot and get damaged due to oversupply and poor storing conditions.
Many other humanitarian organisations and small groups have come from around the world trying to help. However, this has made me very keen to clear up a big myth that is associated with humanitarian disasters and it highlights the difference between individual donor thinking and expectations on the one side and disaster affected persons' thinking and expectations on the other side.
In over 20 years of being a humanitarian worker I have learned that whenever a disaster hits, most observers think that providing food and clothes is the service most needed to save life and often these items are provided in massive quantities, which does causes huge logistical headaches.
It has been proven over and over again in emergency situations that when people flee their homes, their villages or countries their first priority is always safety and protection. They don’t know where they will sleep that night, where they will be going and what will happen next? Everything is so uncertain and protection is the most important need to be established.
The desire of the many disadvantaged migrant workers trapped on foreign soil is simply to go back home. They are in desperate need for safety and protection, they are only after one thing: to go back home and be reunited with their family, friends and loved ones.
The solution for the 15,000 Bengalis who remain in the open at the border for example is to facilitate their return back home as soon as possible, and provide them with decent temporary accommodation until their problem is solved, we should not over focus on providing them with food and clothes without thinking of a sustainable solution to their predicament.
This is what we are trying to do: We will be lobbying European and other Governments to provide charter flights to take them home and we will be working closely with national and international institutions and humanitarian organisations to improve the conditions in the Shosha transit camp.
Around 40,000 people have so far received vital aid. Please support our efforts to help even more vulnerable people: Donate to our Middle East and North Africa appeal.