The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are urgently
appealing to governments for a massive humanitarian evacuation of
tens of thousands of Egyptians and other third country nationals
who have fled into Tunisia from Libya.

UNHCR and IOM, in consultation with the Tunisian and Egyptian
governments, have today established the joint humanitarian
evacuation programme. It aims to vastly enhance ongoing efforts to
alleviate the humanitarian crisis at the border of Tunisia.

The two organizations are appealing for governments to urgently
supply massive financial and logistical assets to the programme,
including planes, boats and expert personnel.

More than 75,000 people have crossed the Tunisian border since
19 February, the vast majority Egyptian nationals. An estimated
40,000 more are waiting to enter from the Libyan side of the
border. The two organizations deem this operation essential as the
overcrowding at the border worsens by the hour.

For more information:

IOM

Jean Philippe Chauzy, IOM Geneva,

Tel: + 41 22 717 9361 / + 41 79 285 4366

E-mail: "mailto:pchauzy@iom.int">pchauzy@iom.int

Jemini Pandya

Tel: + 41 22 717 9486 / + 41 79 217 3374

E-mail: "mailto:jpandya@iom.int">jpandya@iom.int

UNHCR

Melissa Fleming, UNHCR Chief Spokeswoman in Geneva

E-mail: "mailto:fleming@unhcr.org">fleming@unhcr.org

Mobile: + 41 79 557 91 22

Office: + 41 22 739 79 65

Adrian Edwards, UNHCR Spokesman in Geneva:

E-mail: "mailto:edwards@unhcr.org">edwards@unhcr.org

Mobile:  + 41 79 557 91 20

Office: + 41 22 739 87 41

Sybella Wilkes, UNHCR Spokesperson in Geneva:

E-mail: "mailto:wilkes@unhcr.org">wilkes@unhcr.org

Mobile: + 41 79 557 91 38

Office: + 41 22 739 79 68

Firas Kayal, UNHCR Spokesperson at the Tunisia-Libya border:

Tel: + 216 508 561 99

Elizabeth Tan, Deputy Regional Representative in Cairo,
Egypt:

Tel: + 201 222 745 93