IOM is urgently appealing for an initial USD 11 million to assist
migrants caught out by the violence in Libya and who are in dire
need of evacuation and repatriation assistance.

The USD 11 million would allow the Organization to assist a
first group of 10,000 migrants although official requests by
several countries to IOM to evacuate and repatriate their nationals
could involve assisting at least 50,000 people.

Among countries to have requested help from IOM is Egypt, which
is already carrying out unilateral evacuations of its nationals
from Tunisia. However, with an estimated one million Egyptian
migrant workers stranded in an increasingly volatile environment,
its government has asked IOM to help in their safe evacuation.

This would include assisting Egyptian migrants stranded in the
Libyan port of Benghazi, about 600 kms from Egypt's border, to get
to the Egyptian port city of Alexandria by boat. Assistance would
involve providing support for travel to the embarkation point,
issuing travel documents where necessary, sea transport as well as
reception and onward travel assistance to final destinations in
Egypt.

Other countries that have formally approached IOM to help their
nationals with evacuation or repatriation include Bangladesh,
Moldova, Montenegro, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and
Vietnam.

The funding would also allow IOM to assist migrants of other
nationalities – third country nationals (TCNs) – on the
Egyptian and Tunisian borders to be safely repatriated to their
home countries and to be given post-arrival assistance.

Nepal, for example, has asked IOM to help repatriate about 600
of their nationals who had been working in the Libyan town of Derna
and who are now waiting to cross at Salum border crossing. It also
reports that 900 of their nationals currently stranded in Tripoli
and Benghazi would need assistance if the situation deteriorates
further.

In Tripoli, about 350 Sri Lankans are taking shelter at the Sri
Lankan Embassy with several hundred other Sri Lankans spread around
the country. Meanwhile, about 750 Bangladeshis out of an estimated
population of 50,000 are also now heading for the Egyptian border
and who will also need food, water and shelter assistance upon
arrival.

Vietnamese authorities have told IOM that there are about 10,500
of their nationals in Libya. Although they say some have left, most
are still in the country, many without travel documents which were
probably kept by their employers.

"The situation for migrants inside Libya is extremely difficult
and we are deeply concerned about their plight," says IOM Director
General William Lacy Swing.

"We, therefore, urge donors to fund this appeal quickly. This
would allow IOM to assist and protect migrant workers who have
crossed borders at great risk."

Although IOM teams are at the Ras Adjir border point between
Tunisia and Libya and at Salum between Libya and Egypt providing
assistance to migrants and assessing needs, appeal funds would
allow IOM to immediately set up evacuee reception and processing
centres at both sites. This would ensure better registration of and
assistance to migrants crossing Libya's borders with its
neighbours.

The centres would also serve as crisis information points as
well as staging areas for the provision of transportation
assistance to migrants.

At least 40,000 people have already crossed into Tunisia and
Egypt in the past few days with more arriving on a daily basis.
This includes about 8,000 Egyptians currently stranded in southern
Tunisia, according to the Tunisian Red Crescent, taking shelter
wherever they can.

Hundreds of Nigeriens have also crossed Libya's southern border
with Niger where IOM is providing assistance for the migrants at
its reception centre in Dirkou.

"Although IOM is initially asking donors for USD 11 million, it
is likely that this figure will be revised as the situation evolves
and in order to help us meet the requests of not just governments,
but also of individuals, stranded inside Libya in frightening and
worrying situations," adds Swing.

IOM has a long track record of providing humanitarian assistance
to member states and migrants requiring evacuation from emergency
and conflict situations. During the first Gulf war in 1990 it
facilitated the evacuation of over 210,000 migrant workers from the
region. In 2003, following the invasion of Iraq, and in 2006,
following the invasion of Lebanon, it helped thousands more
migrants return home to Asia and other Middle Eastern
countries.

For further information, please contact:

Jean Philippe Chauzy

IOM Geneva

Tel: + 41 22 717 9361

       + 41 79 285 4366

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

or

Jemini Pandya

Tel: + 41 22 717 9486

       + 41 79 217 3374

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