Libyan Uprising and Refugees
March 2011
The Situation:
Following the lead of its neighbors Tunisia and Egypt in mid-February, Libya joined the ranks of countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa that were beginning to experience political unrest. Unlike its neighbors, the situation in Libya has grown from protest and rioting to all out war between anti-Gaddafi rebels and pro-Gaddafi forces. In the wake of this upsurge of violence, the international community has been weighing options for how to best engage the situation. In the meantime many living and working in Libya have left their homes and are without consistent shelter, water or food. According to an April 17 UN OCHA report, more than 553,900 people have fled Libya since February 20. Over 250,000 have crossed over into Tunisia, more than 215,00 went to Egypt with the remaining people fleeing to Alegria, Niger, Chad and Sudan.
ELCA Response:
The ELCA, through the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), participated in an ACT Alliance assessment team that undertook a four-week situation assessment and response planning exercise with the wider international community responding to the humanitarian crisis in Libya and bordering countries. The assessment was conducted through March and early April. Based on its findings the ELCA designated $85,000 in April to be used in Tunisia and Egypt.
In Egypt, the ELCA has designated $75,000 to help its companions, the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services (CEOSS) and the Coptic Orthodox Church/Bishopric of Public Ecumenical & Social Services (COC-Bless), to meet the needs of returning Egyptian workers from Libya. According to OCHA approximately 90,000 workers have fled Libya without money or possessions. CEOSS and COC-Bless will implement a six-month response centered on work intervention and a voucher system for food and specific non-food items. COC-Bless will also address the pyschological needs of returning individuals through the deployment of social workers.
In Tunisia, the need of the 7,000 to 8,000 people living in reception/transit camps is being adequately met by UN agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) on the ground. Due to the very fluid and unpredicable security situation in Libya, the ELCA has designated $10,000 to LWF to be used as part of a contigency plan to meet the needs of any potential influxes of refugees. In the case the Libyan border is opened, these funds will also allow LWF to immediately start operations in Libya proper. The potential focuses for this work will center on protection, shelter, mine risk and environmental education and security.
Contributions to ELCA International Disaster Response will provide response to the needs of displaced families.
What you can do:
Pray:
In this time of political upheaval and uncertainty throughout the region keep the people and government of Libya in your prayers, both personally and in your worship services, that they may find a way to peace and justice for all. For some possible petitions check out this ELCA Worship resource.
Study and Share:
As you follow the situation in the secular media, please check out these other resources for stories of how the ELCA and its partners are engaging in the situation.
Give:
Gifts to ELCA International Disaster Response help us to provide immediate and effective support to communities which are in need. Please consider giving to support the needs of this response and others like it. Information on different ways to give is provided in the left sidebar. Thank you for your prayerful consideration.
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Photo Credits: (top right) ELCA/Communications 3/2011
(middle left) ACT/Church of Sweden/Sarah Harrison