[Press Review] Major health risks facing Libya now
by Vincent Fromentin on Mar 7, 2011 • 10:36 amPress Review of the week
7th March 2011
Libyan refugees are flocking to the Egyptian and Tunisian borders. Owing to WHO, these countries are facing epidemics; many people are already suffering from diarrhea, influenza, scabies or respiratory diseases. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has designated $10 million to the international agencies and the Libyan Red Crescent on the front line of the refugee surge.
The most serious problem is the lack of health professionals in the region, since the majority of foreign medical personnel has been evacuated.
Since Feb. 20, about 200.000 people have fled Libya according to the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR), sometimes nearly 20,000 refugees in one day trying to push through the narrow border crossing of Ras Jedir, between Libya and Tunisia, near Zarzis and Djerba. However, epidemic prevention and health situation control seem a priority for both Red Crescent and WHO, through substantial logistical and human resources. Moreover overseas Chinese and Egyptian were airlifted from Tunisia.
Nevertheless, in Eastern Libya, many people, including civilians, were killed or injured in the bombing against the insurgents, acoording to The Guardian. Red Cross medical teams joined forces with Libyan medical and surgical teams, as said a news from ICRC. Death toll will rise and conditions set to worsen, albeit Europe and United States react promptly.
