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As a young man Khaled Alwadawi picked up the remnants of a rocket that had landed near his house in Misrata and took it to the local police station. He had no idea of the risks this posed to his life and others, and was lucky. Not everyone is, which is why he finds his work to train adults and children about the risks of unexploded ordnance so important.

After being trained by Handicap International to teach others about the risks, Alwadawi has spent the last seven years working with the UN Mine Action Service leading Libya Mine Action Services awareness work as Head of the Risk Education Section. He is focused on spreading the word to as many people as possible on the dangers of unexploded ordnance.

The need for our work is greater than the resources we have available, he says. I also need more people to report things to us we hear about injuries and conflicts, but a lot of the time we do not know the cause. Different devices require different education materials.

More than 1 million explosive remnants of war (ERW) which includes 82% projectiles and 4% small arms ammunitionhave been removed in Libya since 2011. With support from the United Nations Mine Action Service, Alwadawi and his team have facilitated training for over 300,000 children, 125,000 men and 71,000 women across Libya in risk awareness since 2011.

In the first few years of his tenure at the Libya Mine Action Service Alwadawi says most accidents were caused by munition with mines being rare. But after the conflict in Sirte in 2016, there was a clear rise in the number of accidents from mines. This then dropped again, until recent conflicts in Tripoli have seen injuries from mines and wider munitions increase once again.

He recounts the sleepless night he spent with colleagues following the return of civilians to southern Tripoli on 22 May 2019 after the conflict that April. The team were unable to speak to the approximately 250,000 citizens ahead of their return, and unlike their previous successful work in Sirte where they worked with officials to close the city and educate the population, people returned to Tripoli while it was still littered with munitions. Many people were injured.

We couldnt stop the return. It was beyond us he says, calling it the worst day of his career. We were blamed for the accidents, when could do nothing to prevent people returning. Libya is a highly contaminated country, and we shouldnt underestimate the danger, he adds.

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Mine Action Week Libya: Educating as Many People as Possible on the Risks of Unexploded Ordnance - ZAWYA

Seasonal strawberry cultivation in Libya is a thriving economic resource. From early spring to early to mid-summer, strawberry sellers litter roadsides. Its eaten fresh but also whizzed into smoothies and milkshakes.

Libyan Arable land in general is very limited and does not exceed 10 percent of the countrys area, which is approximately 15.4 million hectares out of the size of Libyas area, estimated at 176 million hectares.

More than 5,000 hectares used for strawberry cultivation in western LibyaThe areas cultivated seasonally with strawberries in the west of the country are estimated at more than five thousand hectares. These are distributed over the cities of Misrata, Zliten, the areas of Qasr Khiar, Al-Qarabouli and Tajoura east of Tripoli, Qasr Bin Ghashir and Sidi Al-Sayeh to the southeast of it, in addition to the south of Janzour and the cities of Saadia, Nasiriyah, Al-Zawiya, Surman and Sabrata.

Strawberries yield a good economic returnSpeaking exclusively to Libya Herald, agricultural engineer Hatem Saad al-Magri, who specializes in growing strawberries and seasonal crops, said that strawberries are crops with a good economic return. This return can be increased by working on producing the crop at the right time for export, which starts from November to April.

Fruits must reach consumer in optimal conditionHe stressed the need to take care of producing fruits with desirable horticultural specifications that are free from biological and chemical pollution. There is also the need to take care of collection, packaging, cooling and transport operations, which leads to the fruits reaching the consumer in an attractive way and raising their marketing value.

Small frozen quantities are exported to TunisiaHatem al-Magri referred to the cultivation of strawberries with locally produced seedlings under the supervision of agricultural engineers of the recommended varieties. The needs of farmers are provided by agricultural seed companies in Libya. Small frozen quantities are also provided for export annually to Tunisia, through companies specialized in delivery, packaging and freezing.

Winter v summer cultivationHe added that fresh strawberry seedlings are planted in September and October to produce the early crop for export, which begins in November until May. This system is called winter cultivation. As for the other system, which is called summer cultivation, it is cultivated with frozen seedlings that were stored in refrigerators for about seven months, where planting begins in August, and harvesting begins in March until July.

Coastal region suitable for strawberry cultivationWith regard to the lands most suitable for strawberry cultivation, he said that the areas of Tajura, Al-Garabouli, Gaser Khiar east of Tripoli, the Sidi Al-Sayeh area, Gasr Ben Ghashir south of it and the whole coastal region are good for strawberry production. This is due to suitable soil, humid Mediterranean climate, and abundance of groundwater.

High demand for strawberriesAl-Magri said strawberry cultivation has a good economic return, as it is a source of livelihood for many farm owners as well as marketers and sellers in the local market, with high demand for it, especially from cafes, restaurants, natural juice shops, as well as home consumption.

He stressed that the cultivation of strawberries is carried out by Libyan hands, to a large extent, for ease of handling and care, noting the lack of use of medicines and chemical fertilizers, which makes local strawberries safer for the consumer than the imported frozen varieties.

Supply can meet local demandRegarding the ability of local farms to provide the required quantities to consumers locally, he said that it is possible to cover the local market to a large extent, and a surplus can be achieved for export abroad, provided that the supply of electric power to farms is stable, along with the provision of refrigerators, preservation materials, and packaging at good prices.

No government supportOn the role of the Ministry of Agriculture and the government in supporting this activity, he said that the Libyan farmer lacks the support and encouragement of the successive Libyan governments, especially the Ministry of Agriculture. He said this type of agriculture does not require large material costs and can be carried out with minimal capabilities.

Strawberry cultivation, he explained, is an economic cultivation that achieves a quick and large return, especially if other industries are established on it, such as the manufacture of juices and natural jam.

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Strawberry cultivation in Libya is a thriving economic resource - Libya Herald

The United States continues to look at every conceivable option to help Americans get out of Sudan amid deadly clashes in the country, but is not considering peacekeeping troops,according to White House national security adviserJake Sullivan.

Sullivan said the U.S. has placed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets over the land evacuation route to help facilitate safe travel by land from Khartoum to the Port of Sudan, but does not have any U.S. troops on the ground.

It is not standard practice for the United States to send in the U.S. military into war zones to extract American citizens, Sullivan said, speaking at a press briefing at the White House on Monday.

We didnt do it in Libya. We didnt do it in Syria. We didnt do it in Yemen, and no we didnt do it in Ukraine. Afghanistan was a unique case involving the end of the 20-year war that the United States was centrally involved in, he added.

According to the Associated Press, an estimated 16,000 private U.S. citizens are registered with the embassy as being in Sudan. The figure is rough because not all Americans register with embassy or say when they depart.

Sullivan said the U.S. will go to great lengths to support and facilitate the departure of Americans but also noted that the State Department has been cautioning Americans in Sudan to leave the country for years.

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We didn't do it in Libya: US will not send military to evacuate ... - Libya Update

By Faraj Aljarih

The escalating number of irregular migrants entering Libya has sparked concerns among several nations. With land boundaries spanning approximately 4,348 kilometers and sea borders extending over 1,700 kilometers, Libya has emerged as a preferred transit point for migrants seeking to reach Europe.

In recent months, migration activity to Europe through Libya has surged. A boat carrying around 80 irregular migrants sank off the coast of Castelverde, east of Tripoli, with only five surviving. The remaining individuals are either deceased or missing at sea. This incident highlights the perils of irregular migration and the pressing need for action to prevent further loss of life.

Last Saturday, 36 bodies were discovered washed up on the shore of Sabratha after their boat sank. The Libyan Red Crescent recovered the bodies over a period of three days, with the fate of others still unknown. This is another tragic incident that underscores the risks that migrants face when attempting to cross the Mediterranean.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), over 15,000 Bangladeshi migrants arrived in Italy from Libya in 2022, double the number from the previous year. This has prompted Italy to take action to curb irregular migration. The Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, stated that Italy is working from inside Libya and Tunisia to reduce the number of migrants leaving, emphasizing that Italy cannot become a waiting hall for those who want to go elsewhere.

The latest statistics from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Libya (UNHCR) show that over 4,261 irregular migrants are currently detained in Libya since the beginning of 2023. The detention centers in Libya include the Abu Salim detention center in Tripoli, which has been the site of several protests and riots due to poor conditions, and the Zintan detention center in the western part of the country. The conditions in these centers have been a source of concern for human rights organizations, with reports of overcrowding, poor sanitation, and abuse. This underscores the necessity for a well-coordinated international endeavor to tackle the underlying reasons for migration and establish secure and lawful channels for individuals seeking to improve their lives.

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Italy takes action from inside Libya to curb migration influx - Libya Update

More than 100 people dead in multiple shipwrecks off Italy and north-Africa. Meanwhile, Malta continues non-response tactics and Italy continues to delay disembarkation of survivors and thereby limiting much needed NGO rescue capacity. The Administrative Law Division of the Council of State in the Netherlands has suspended Dublin transfers to Italy in two cases based on the lack of reception.

The dangerous Mediterranean route continues to generate deaths and distress. On April 24, the NGO hotline Alarm Phone reported of 26 ongoing distress situations at sea and stated: Europe, dont let even more people drown. Mass rescue efforts are desperately needed!. The call for rescue coordination and capacity was repeated by Sea-watch International the following day when the NGO rescue organisations asked: How many people have to die before the EU decides on a joint sea rescue program?. However, after numerous deadly shipwrecks, more than 100 bodies have been recovered off the coasts of Libya and Tunisiaand 20 people are missing and one confirmed dead off Lampedusa, Italy. On 27 April, the International Organization for Migrations (IOM) Missing Migrant Project announced it had recorded nearly 300 deaths in the Central Mediterranean in just the last 10 days. On 22 April, the Red Crescent recovered 11 dead bodies at the beach of Sabratha, Libya. A Libyan official toldmediathat the number of victims could rise. In this kind of incident, the chances of survival are slim the source added. Reportedly, by 25 April the bodies of at least 57 asylum seekers, including children, had been found off the coast of western Libya after several boats sank in the Mediterranean.

Tunisian authorities confirmed on 24 April that two separate shipwrecks off the coastal city of Sfax had resulted in the drowning of five people and that 31 bodies had washed up in a state of decomposition. According to Refugees in Libya, there were children among the victims. Reportedly, 70 bodies had been recovered from the coasts of the governorate of Sfax between 21 and 24 April. Meanwhile, reports of the Tunisian coast guard stealing engines from boats carrying migrants and leaving them adrift at sea continue. On 23 April, Alarm Phone reported: 38 people adrift off Al Amra Tunisia! Alarm Phone was alerted by a group of people who tried to flee Tunisia but got attacked by the Tunisian Garde Nationale who stole the engine. Interception and return of migrants by Tunisian authorities have sharply risen in 2023 and according to a spokesperson, the coast guard: thwarted 501 clandestine sea border crossing operations and rescued 14,406 people, including 13,138 from sub-Saharan Africa, in the first quarter of the year. Also On 24 April, a boat carrying more than 50 people attempting to reach Italy from Tunisia sank off Lampedusa. One person is confirmed dead and at least 20 remain missing. On 26 April, media reported of the Italian Coast Guard recovering the bodies of two women believed to have drowned after the tragedy. On 27 April, Alarm Phone was alerted to a boat in distress, carrying about 30 to 35 people who left from Libya and called urgent rescue operation.

Over the weekend of 22 and 23 April, some 1,200 people arrived to Italy from Tunisia. Officials from the Italian Coast Guard said in a statement that they responded to 35 boats in distress after leaving the North-African country. On 25 April, Italian officials stated that more than 2,200 migrants had been rescued from the Mediterranean Sea and brought to a reception centre on the island of Lampedusa over just 24 hours. Local fishermen and NGO rescue operators have also provided vital rescues. However, amid the deadly chaos erupting in the central Mediterranean, Italian authorities continue to delay the disembarkation of survivors assigning NGO rescue vessels to distant ports and Malta continues its non-response tactics. SOS Humanity reported on 25 April the disembarkation of 69 survivors in Ravenna. The organisation is filing a lawsuit against the systematic allocation of distant ports before the civil court in Rome, together with Sea-Eye and Mission Lifeline and stated after the disembarkation: We are relieved that we were able to bring them to safety. Yet Italys systematic distant ports policy increases the time they were forced to wait before reaching dry land and decreases the time we are able to carry out rescues. On 24 April, MSF Sea reported: 75 persons, including 40 minors and 13 women, were on an unseaworthy wooden boat in distress located in the international waters near Libya. Everyone is now safe on board of Geo Barents and being cared for by the team. Italy assigned Napoli as a port of disembarkation. On 21 April, SOS MEDITERRANEE announced that its Ocean Viking vessel had rescued 29 people from an unseaworthy fiberglass boat in pitch dark & rough weather. According to SOS MEDITERRANEE, Italian authorities assigned Bari as port of disembarkation for survivors on board Ocean Viking 770km away, imposing a 2-day navigation. While leaving the area of operations, we fear that other lives will be again at risk in the central Mediterranean. The boat was in distress for 5 days and left drifting in Malta rescue zone. According to the organisation: While Ocean Viking proceeded to the evacuation of those in distress, a Maltese helicopter was circling over the dinghy & an Italian patrol vessel was also present on scene, without either of the two assisting. Maltese authorities notorious for their non-response tactics have been refusing for over a year to release information on how many people were rescued in Maltese search-and-rescue waters, and how many were brought ashore, taken to Libya or Italy, citing national security reasons while dismissing the request as curiosity, Times of Malta wrote on 23 April. The outlet that has sought the information through Freedom of Information requests states it is requesting the data in light of claims, over the past years that Malta was failing to assist migrants at risk and of breaking international laws and notes: As a public authority, the Armed Forces of Malta is entrusted with public funds to rescue life at sea placing the public authority under the obligation of transparency and accountability.In response to a parliamentary question Home affairs minister, Byron Camilleri stated on 26 April that 92 people including an unaccompanied child have been brought to Malta after being rescued at sea in 2023 so far. According to ECRE member, Aditus Foundation, Camilleri further pointed out that once asylum process concludes, they will start work to immediately return those not deserving of protection to their country. The Nadir vessel operated by RESQSHIP landed 41 survivors in Lampedusa on 26 April and headed back to the SAR zone the following day. Additional rescues have been carried out by NGOs Open Arms and Emergency saving 47 and 55 people respectively the latter in waters off Libya. SOS Humanity, stated on 27 April: The German Parliament decided today to extend the German mandate for EU military operation EUNAVFOR MED Irini in the Mediterranean. Germany is thus continuing to support the training of the so-called Libyan Coast Guard, proven to have committed human rights violations. 4,335 people have been intercepted and returned to Libya on the Central Mediterranean route in 2023 as of 22 April, according to IOM.

In comparison, while less than 100 people disembarked in Malta, Italy has seen almost 39,000 disembarkations in 2023 so far and a state of emergency has been declared by the far-right government under the controversial prime minister, Giorgia Meloni. The government has also cracked down on civilian rescue operators and proposed to remove or diminish the rights to temporary protection but the political process has sparked division and pushback from regional governments, with representatives stating: We have not been consulted and we cant learn about things when decisions have already been taken. Meanwhile, amid closure of parliament and crack-down on political opposition and migrants in Tunisia, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani defined the country: a key country for stability in the Mediterranean Sea and in North Africa. EU and Italy are partnering with the regime on migration and European foreign ministers recently discussed how to respond to growing instability in a country that is a gateway for African migration to Europe. Of course we need reforms in Tunisia, Tajani stated, adding We need to start with financing, then we need to wait for the reforms, and then after that we have to move forward with (more) financing. The minister pointed out: You dont want this country to collapse that would have multiple negative consequences, including on migration. Successive Italian governments have had modest success in convincing EU partners to show solidarity and increase relocation. However, the reasoning by Italian authorities for the need to suspend Dublin returns to Italy based on the lack of reception capacity was acknowledged by the Administrative Law Division of the Council of State in the Netherlands. The top court ruled in two separate cases on 26 April that due to Italys lack of reception facilities, there is a real risk that the two asylum seekers will be deprived of basic necessities such as shelter, food and running water. Accordingly, their transfers were suspended and the ruling is expected to serve as a precedent for future cases.

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Mediterranean: Series of Deadly Shipwrecks off Libya, Tunisia and ... - European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) |