Can Tunisia, lacking stability and hit by unrest, deal with the thousands of Libyans now flocking across its southern borders, asks Mourad Teyeb on the Tunisia-Libya border Thousands of people have fled from their homes in north- western Libya, as the conflict between forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and the rebels tightens. Fearing being caught up in the fighting that has engulfed the country since mid-February, thousands of Libyans, many of them women and children, have been taking refuge in the south-western border town of Remada, 50km from the Tunisian-Libyan border. "To avoid attacks on their women and harassment of their children, common by Gaddafi's forces, Libyan men have been taking them to the Tunisian border towns of Remada, Dhiba and Tataouine and then going back to carry on the fighting and defend their homes," said Mustafa Abu Shama, a doctor from Misrata. The conflict in Libya has also recently shifted to the west of the country, forcing many Libyan residents to cross the Tunisian-Libyan border. "More than 16,000 refugees have crossed from the Libyan side into Tunisia, according to officials at the Tunisian border," UNHCR spokesman Firas Kayal said. Many of the Libyan families concerned are originally from Jabal Nefusa, Nalut, Jadu, Zintan and Yefren, and they have sought refuge in the southern Tunisian town of Tataouine. On Monday, more than 500 Libyan Berbers also reportedly fled their homes in Libya's western mountains to seek shelter in Dhiba. Mounting pressure on the western mountains by Libyan government forces, lack of basic medical supplies and shortages of food had prompted their departure to Tunisia, the Berbers said. The way the Tunisians had welcomed and dealt with the unprecedented waves of refugees from neighbouring Libya had been "epic", according to observers. "I am amazed at what Tunisian families in these southern towns have done to welcome the thousands of refugees," said David Thomson, a reporter for France 24 television. "You can imagine that it is not easy to take care of tens of thousands of people when your own home town does not have the minimum facilities." Abdel-Rahman Zouari, a 73-year-old man from Zouara, said he was "not surprised" that Tunisians had opened their homes to welcome him and his fellow Libyans. "We are the same people," he said, smiling, alluding to the fact that many people from the southern governorates of Tunisia, including Medenine and Tataouine, were married to Libyans and vice versa. Families in Medenine, Bani-Khedash and Ben Guerdane are used to welcoming Libyan neighbours with whom they have close historic ties. Solidarity caravans from many Tunisian cities have been arriving each day in Dhiba, Remada and Tataouine bringing food and medicine for the refugees. The newly-formed Tunisian Engineers' Union (SYNDIT) has also organised a trip from Tunis to Remada to show solidarity with the refugees. Union chair Abdel-Hafiz Zeribi said that the Union's task was not only to defend Tunisian engineers, but also that "we are acting with civil society on humanitarian issues, such as helping to deal with the huge numbers of refugees in the towns of southern Tunisia." Local communities in the villages around Tataouine and Medenine "have offered considerable assistance by opening their homes to hundreds of Libyan families," Abdel-Latif Haddad, a local activist, said. "Youth hostels are also being used to shelter families, and a school near Remada has offered to take Libyan students." The mobilisation in aid of the Libyan refugees has indicated exceptional solidarity among Tunisians for the plight of the Libyan refugees. However, the question remains of whether Tunisia, itself endeavouring to restore security and the normal economic activity after the recent revolution, can handle the waves of refugees. The refugees that have recently arrived in Remada and Dhiba come following the tens of thousands of Egyptians, Somalis, Bengalis and Sudanese who have already flocked to Ras Jedir, Choucha and Ben Guerdane over the past two months, hundreds of them still waiting to be transferred to their countries of origin. Tunisia will scarcely be able to deal with this crisis alone, and observers have been warning of a potential humanitarian catastrophe should the international community not step in to help. Various organisations, among them the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), have already deployed staff in Remada and Dhiba and surrounding towns. The UNHCR recently said that new arrivals in Remada and Dhiba had "very limited resources and significant humanitarian needs." A UNHCR camp has been set up with 130 tents for the refugees, and electricity and water supplies connected. "The UNHCR is working with local partner Al-Taawon and the Tunisian Red Crescent to provide support," a spokesman said. Roberta Angelilli, vice president of the European parliament, has also called on the international community to help Tunisia with the refugee crisis. On a recent visit to Tunisia, the EU official promised "Europe's support for the efforts of the Tunisian government and people to help refugees that have entered the country since the outbreak of the violence in Libya." Angelilli also visited the crossing point of Ras Al-Jedir on the Tunisian-Libyan border. "We aim to follow up on the situation and identify actions that can be taken by the European community in the light of the situation in Libya and its consequences on Tunisia," he said. The European Union has thus far provided some 30 million euros to help Tunisia cope with the influx of refugees pouring across its southern border. Official figures say that more than half a million people have fled Libya since the uprising against the Gaddafi government began in February. About 5,000 people are said to be joining the exodus to Egypt and Tunisia every day. With the fighting in Libya unlikely to end anytime soon, opening the possibility of additional waves of refugees, the question remains of whether Tunisia alone will be able to deal with the crisis.
