Free Libya, the first generation

The humanitarian crisis by numbers

26 April 2011

On 17 April, an agreement was signed between the UN and the Government of Libya, to facilitate humanitarian access into Libya and establish an international UN presence in Tripoli. Below is a summary of the official version of the crisis in Misurata:

300 people were reported killed and 1,000 injured by 18 April with at least 4,700 third-country nationals (TCNs) and Libyans waiting to leave by 24 April.

Children as young as 9 months have been killed, with at least 21 child deaths (UNICEF).

12 evacuation operations have been organized by the humanitarian community (including the Qatari Red Crescent and the International Committee of the Red Crescent) transporting over 8,500 people mainly TCNs, and war wounded.

Water and electricity has been cut off for over 50 days.

Author’s note: The number of casualties reported includes official hospital figures only. Many fatalities have simply not been recorded. There are numerous reports of civilians being buried where they fell and within 24 hours (according to Islamic law). These figures do not include government forces (regular or foreign mercenaries).

(International Organization for Migration, update 24 April 2011).

Dispatches from the Genocide Awareness Network

Recalling the statement of Foreign Minister Dr. Tonio Borg at the Mediterranean Diplomacy Forum organised by the Parliamentary Assembly Mediterranean and the Mediterranean Academy for Diplomatic Studies on 1 April 2011

Malta cannot be neutral between life and death and in Libya’s case it is siding with life

Recognizing the significance of the statement made by Shahida Azfar, UNICEF MENA Regional Director in AMMAN on 5 April 2011

The current fighting in Libya is putting children at high risk [and that ….] their right to education, play, health and even survival are under serious threat

Recognizing that the spirit of resolution 1973 (2011) in condemning the gross and systematic violation of human rights is being undermined by a closely coordinated strategy of political and military deception, reminiscent of the Bosnian War of the 1990s

Recalling the asset freeze imposed by paragraph 17, 19, 20 and 21 of resolution 1970 (2011) on all funds, other financial assets and economic resources which are owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by the Libyan authorities

We the People of Malta, do hereby call on our elected representatives to provide, without further delay, full diplomatic recognition of the Majlis al-Watani and its representatives in Malta and to do all it can to further the aims of resolutions 1970 (2011) and 1973 (2011).