Mitigating a Manmade Disaster
As the conflict and uncertainty increases in Libya, Zakat Foundation of America continues its programs to provide critically needed relief supplies and assistance to the people whose lives have been so dramatically altered. Zakat Foundation of America teams remain at the Libyan border with Tunisia where Zakat Foundation of America’s camp, called Camp Ras Djir is tending to the needs of the refugees entering the camp.
Until recently the Zakat Foundation of America’s camp was home to 200 refugee families, providing them hot meals, medication, and clean sanitation facilities. Because of the high quality of the camp and its close proximity to the Libyan border (just 500 meters), Tunisian army officials requested Zakat Foundation of America to transform the camp into a medical clinic.
Distant gunfire inside Libya is audible at the Zakat Foundation of America camp, and Zakat Foundation of America representatives are now busy preparing the clinic for the anticipated injured people that may pour over the border from Libya. In cooperation with the Tunisian Ministry of Health, nurses used the Zakat Foundation of America clinic on the 21st of March to vaccinate pregnant women and all children in the camp younger than five years of age in order to protect them from the illnesses that can arise in from camp living.
In addition to managing the Zakat Foundation of America clinic, Zakat Foundation of America’s team continues to work tirelessly on the ground by:
Assisting in the processing of new refugees (3,000 new refugees arrived on 22 March) and arranging their transfer to either Shousha camp for single persons or the Emirati camp for families.
Distributing food cooked in Zakat Foundation of America’s mobile kitchen to residents of both camps. 13,000 sandwiches are prepared and distributed daily.
So far, more than 323,600 people have fled the violence and intimidation in Libya, seeking refuge in Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria and Niger.
Suad, a Sudanese woman who worked as a university professor in Tripoli, arrived at Zakat Foundation of America’s camp last week with her husband and three children. Camp living was very different from the kind of lifestyle to which they had been accustomed, but Suad was impressed by the effort exerted by Zakat Foundation of America to make her family’s transition as comfortable as possible. Suad, who was transferred by the Sudanese minister back to her country vowed to work to support Zakat Foundation of America work as soon as she was settled and back on her feet.
Zakat Foundation of America is committed to staying on the ground in Tunisia and Libya until the humanitarian crisis ends and will continue to transport the injured to hospitals in Turkey and Malta for medical treatment. Please continue to support our work with your generous contributions.
View more photos of the Zakat Foundation of America team in action.
