Foreigners scramble to flee the violence in Libya
Source: Agencies |
February 27, 2011, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
Thousands of evacuees from strife-torn Libya reached ports across the Mediterranean yesterday, with thousands more still scrambling to flee the North African nation by sea, air or land.
More than 2,800 Chinese workers landed in Heraklion on the Greek island of Crete aboard a Greek ship. Further to the west, another 2,200 Chinese arrived in Valletta, the capital of Malta, on a ship from the eastern Libyan port of Benghazi. Hours earlier, in the dark of night, a US-chartered ferry dropped off over 300 passengers in Valletta after a voyage from Tripoli, the Libyan capital.
The sheer numbers of foreigners leaving Libya as Moammar Gadhafi's regime attacks anti-government protesters has been staggering. As of yesterday, at least 16,000 Chinese workers and 15,000 Turks had been evacuated, most working in the construction and oil industries.
In addition, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council that some 22,000 people have fled across the Libyan border to Tunisia and another 15,000 crossed the border to Egypt.
"There are widespread reports of refugees being harassed and threatened with guns and knives," Ban said, adding that many people who managed to cross the border said their trip was "terrifying."
At the harbor in Valletta, women holding babies and other passengers walked down a ramp to land after an eight-hour voyage across the choppy Mediterranean Sea.
"Oh, it was a long ordeal. We are glad it's over," said evacuee Sara Ali, a 30-year-old with dual Libyan-American citizenship.
"We're just really tired and really happy to be out and safe."
The passengers had been stuck aboard the catamaran since Wednesday, but strong winds and high seas had prevented the ferry from leaving the Libyan capital of Tripoli for three days.
"It was pretty uncomfortable just because of the delay," said Lucile Usielmerazcerna, an evacuee from Santa Cruz, California. "It was really rough waters coming over here, also having to stay in the dock for two or three days."
The Chinese landing in Malta were expected to head to the airport for flights home. In Crete, the Chinese government chartered four ferries and 11 hotels, and was having special flights to China late last night aboard two Air China jumbo jets.
Two more Greek ships left Benghazi yesterday, one headed for the port of Piraeus with 400 evacuees from 16 countries and another, carrying mostly Chinese nationals, for Heraklion. A third ferry, also carrying mostly Chinese nationals, is still docked in Benghazi, and huge lines of workers were snaking their way on board. A total of 4,200 people are expected to arrive at Heraklion today, port authorities and shipping agents said.
Travel time between Benghazi ad Heraklion is up to 13 hours.
On Thursday, more than 4,000 Chinese workers were evacuated to Crete from Libya. China had at least 30,000 workers in Libya, mostly in the construction and oil industries.
Local media reports in Crete said the Philippines government has also expressed an interest in evacuating 4,500 of its citizens to Crete.
"We cannot find available ships and we are in constant talks with shipping companies. There seems to be no problem with hotels," Alexandros Fasoulakis, the Philippines' honorary consul in Crete, was quoted as saying by the Haniotika Nea paper.
More than 2,800 Chinese workers landed in Heraklion on the Greek island of Crete aboard a Greek ship. Further to the west, another 2,200 Chinese arrived in Valletta, the capital of Malta, on a ship from the eastern Libyan port of Benghazi. Hours earlier, in the dark of night, a US-chartered ferry dropped off over 300 passengers in Valletta after a voyage from Tripoli, the Libyan capital.
The sheer numbers of foreigners leaving Libya as Moammar Gadhafi's regime attacks anti-government protesters has been staggering. As of yesterday, at least 16,000 Chinese workers and 15,000 Turks had been evacuated, most working in the construction and oil industries.
In addition, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council that some 22,000 people have fled across the Libyan border to Tunisia and another 15,000 crossed the border to Egypt.
"There are widespread reports of refugees being harassed and threatened with guns and knives," Ban said, adding that many people who managed to cross the border said their trip was "terrifying."
At the harbor in Valletta, women holding babies and other passengers walked down a ramp to land after an eight-hour voyage across the choppy Mediterranean Sea.
"Oh, it was a long ordeal. We are glad it's over," said evacuee Sara Ali, a 30-year-old with dual Libyan-American citizenship.
"We're just really tired and really happy to be out and safe."
The passengers had been stuck aboard the catamaran since Wednesday, but strong winds and high seas had prevented the ferry from leaving the Libyan capital of Tripoli for three days.
"It was pretty uncomfortable just because of the delay," said Lucile Usielmerazcerna, an evacuee from Santa Cruz, California. "It was really rough waters coming over here, also having to stay in the dock for two or three days."
The Chinese landing in Malta were expected to head to the airport for flights home. In Crete, the Chinese government chartered four ferries and 11 hotels, and was having special flights to China late last night aboard two Air China jumbo jets.
Two more Greek ships left Benghazi yesterday, one headed for the port of Piraeus with 400 evacuees from 16 countries and another, carrying mostly Chinese nationals, for Heraklion. A third ferry, also carrying mostly Chinese nationals, is still docked in Benghazi, and huge lines of workers were snaking their way on board. A total of 4,200 people are expected to arrive at Heraklion today, port authorities and shipping agents said.
Travel time between Benghazi ad Heraklion is up to 13 hours.
On Thursday, more than 4,000 Chinese workers were evacuated to Crete from Libya. China had at least 30,000 workers in Libya, mostly in the construction and oil industries.
Local media reports in Crete said the Philippines government has also expressed an interest in evacuating 4,500 of its citizens to Crete.
"We cannot find available ships and we are in constant talks with shipping companies. There seems to be no problem with hotels," Alexandros Fasoulakis, the Philippines' honorary consul in Crete, was quoted as saying by the Haniotika Nea paper.
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