ReliefWeb

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

• On April 30, the Qadhafi government claimed that North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) attacks on the Qadhafi family compound resulted in the death of Muammar Qadhafi’s son, Saif al-Arab Qadhafi. In retaliation, Qadhafi loyalists reportedly mobbed and vandalized Western embassies, including the British, French, Qatari, Italian, and U.S. Missions. In addition, protesters burned down the U.N. compound in Tripoli, according to the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). As a result, U.N. staff temporarily evacuated to Tunisia.

• On April 29, NATO ships observed boats laying anti-ship mines outside of the Misratah port—the primary point of access for humanitarian assistance entering Misratah. According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), NATO is clearing the mines to ensure safe passage of ships conducting evacuations of migrants from the Misratah harbor. To date, NATO has cleared two mines and is searching for a third. Local and international media sources report that pro-Qadhafi forces continued to launch rocket attacks on the port on May 2.

• Continued fighting at the Tunisia–Libya border has displaced more than 9,000 people from Libya to Tunisia since April 30, according to relief agencies in the area. Fighting has also resulted in casualties among both pro-Qadhafi and opposition forces. Many of the injured have been transported into Tunisia for stabilization in Dahiba and onward transfer to Tataouine Hospital.

• USAID and the U.S. Department of State are providing $47 million for the Libya complex emergency. In addition, the U.S. Government (USG) has provided military in-kind assistance to transport 1,158 Egyptians from Tunisia to Egypt via U.S. C-130s, valued at nearly $1.1 million.1