UNICEF: UNICEF is working in close cooperation with national authorities and other partners in responding to the needs of tens of thousands of families escaping the crisis in Libya. “UNICEF and the humanitarian community remain extremely concerned by the situation inside Libya and the impact of ongoing hostilities on women and children. Our teams are on the ground monitoring and coordinating with national authorities and other partners at the EgyptianLibyan borders to ensure that particular attention is given to the rights and immediate needs of displaced women and children,” said Philippe Duamelle, UNICEF representative in Egypt. In this respect UNICEF redeployed staff and humanitarian relief supplies in Egypt to provide support in the areas of child protection, water and sanitation, health and nutrition. At the Salloum border crossing, UNICEF has successfully advocated for space to be especially designated for displaced families and established a child friendly space where young children and their mothers receive psychosocial support, and engage in developmental activities conducted by trained facilitators. Support is also provided to ensure sufficient provision of water at the site as well as access to sanitation facilities. 110 m3 of water is trucked daily to the site. UNICEF supported the rehabilitation of toilets and supplied mobile toilet blocks. Maintenance and cleaning of the site were also supported by UNICEF to maintain hygiene standards. Hygiene kits were distributed to families, and messages on health, nutrition, water and sanitation, environment and safety were printed in Arabic, English and French and posted in the dedicated family spaces. UNICEF specialists have also conducted capacity building workshops in Cairo, Marsa Matrouh and Salloum on needs of children in emergencies. The capacity building training involved participants from local NGOs and representatives from ministries and the Egyptian Red Crescent in preparation for their deployment to help with the humanitarian relief operations. Emergency health kits covering the needs of 60,000 persons for one month as well as specialized trauma and surgery medical equipment for 4,500 people were sent to Libya in partnership with the International Medical Corps (IMC). Additional relief items such as hygiene kits and early childhood development kits will be sent to Libya shortly.
