Quoted: Humanitarian access in Libya must be priority

Nearly all of the 300,000 people who have crossed into neighboring countries since the Libyan crisis erupted in February are foreign workers and have been repatriated. As the war in Libya intensifies, the IRC is deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in the country.

Photo: Chris de Bode/SV

The International Rescue Committee had a message for diplomats in London attending Tuesday’s international conference on Libya: the security of civilians and access for humanitarian organizations must be priorities. “We’re gravely concerned about the conditions of civilians in areas of heavy fighting,” said Carolyn Makinson, chief executive of IRC UK. “The situation could easily deteriorate into a humanitarian emergency.”

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