Perilous
Times
Libya: '800 refugees drowned' trying to escape Gaddafi
At least 800 people have drowned as they tried to escape war torn
Libya in the two months since the civil war started, UN officials
said on Tuesday.
By Nick Pisa in Rome 9:17PM BST 10 May 2011
The Telegraph UK
The dramatic claim was made just days after it emerged that 61
people drowned after another ship sank despite being spotted and
given assistance by an unidentified military helicopter.
There have been claims it was from a Nato vessel patrolling the
waters off the coast of Libya but officials have denied this
saying there is "no evidence that one of their vessels was
involved."
The victims are made up mainly of refugees fleeing Libya but
economic migrants are also feared to have died as they sailed from
north Africa to the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa.
Since January the island has been swamped with more than 20,000
illegal immigrants and refugees pushing it's limited resources of
food and water to the limit.
Laura Boldrini, a spokeswoman for the United Nations High
Commission for Refugees in Rome said the figure of 800 was made up
of four vessels that they had information on.
She said:"We know of at least two boats that are missing and these
were carrying at least 490 people and we know of two ships that
went down with 332 drowning.
"These are just the ones we know of from survivors or from people
who have contacted us or relatives to say they were in trouble and
then not been in touch again.
"There needs to be increased co-ordination between the navy
vessels and the commercial ships that are in the Mediterranean at
the moment and they need to offer assistance as quickly as
possible without being asked.
"It is very, very worrying that these refugees are getting on
boats that are not at all safe and then attempting to make this
dangerous crossing to Lampedusa."
The incident with the 61 people who drowned, is said to have
happened at the end of March, while last week another vessel
carrying 600 men, women and children was send to have gone down
off the coast of Tripoli.
Earlier this week a boat carrying 528 people ran aground off
Lampedusa and a major rescue was launched with officials saying
that all on-board had been saved but a search later revealed three
bodies below the hull.
Ms Boldrini added how there had been cases of "tension" between
Malta and Italy over territorial competence when it came to
rescuing illegal immigrants and refugees.
Italy has grown increasingly frustrated at Malta's lack of help as
in many cases it simply passes on any calls to them claiming they
do not have vessels powerful or big enough to help in a rescue.
She added: "These cases of tension over competence just create
more risk for those on the boats and puts any rescue attempt at
risk – this should be put aside and everyone needs to do what they
can to help.
"We are in this war to protect the people of Libya so if these
people put to see to escape this war then we must look after them
even if they are on ships."
Before the civil war began Libyan patrol boats stopped any vessel
attempting to set sail in a deal agreed with Italy and before the
bombing campaign started mad dog Colonel Gaddafi threatened to
turn Europe "black through illegal immigration" in an attempt to
ward off military intervention.