THE British Red Cross has launched an appeal and released £150,000 from its disaster fund to help those affected by the ongoing crisis in Libya and the surrounding region.
Says a spokesperson: “Violent clashes in Libya have left hundreds of people dead and thousands injured. Tens of thousands of people are crossing into Tunisia and Egypt to flee the violence.”
The British Red Cross Libya and Region Appeal will support Red Cross work both in Libya and in surrounding countries.
To donate, visit www.redcross.org.uk/libyacrisis or call 0845 454 7206.
“The International Red Cross Red Crescent Movement has been on the ground helping people since the beginning of the unrest, but we need to rapidly increase the scale of the response,” said Mike Goodhand disaster response manager with the British Red Cross.
“Local Libyan Red Crescent volunteers have been providing first aid and blood bank services, and much needed international Red Cross medical staff and supplies are joining them in-country.
“At the same time, we are supporting people crossing over from Libya into Egypt and Tunisia. That exodus is growing by the hour, and support will have to expand to meet people’s needs.”
A medical team, including two surgeons, from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) arrived in Benghazi on Sunday.
Truckloads of Red Cross medical supplies are due to arrive in Libya from Cairo in the next few days.
To support British nationals evacuated from Libya, British Red Cross psycho-social support teams have travelled to Malta at the request of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, and British Red Cross staff and volunteers have spent the last few days working airside at Gatwick Airport, providing practical and emotional support to people as they arrive back in the UK.
ENDS
Contacts:
Red Cross/Red Crescent contact Joe Lowry is available to assist with interviews and latest information. Joe is on the Tunisia/Libya border.
Contact via: +21 69 36 99 090 (local mobile) or +36 70 95 37 712. He is also available for skype interviews, skype name: joelowry
The ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) has a spokesman in Benghazi named Hicham Hassan, who is available to do interviews in English, French and Arabic. He can be reached on his Egyptian cell phone: +20 187 42 43 44.
Notes
The Libya & Region Appeal will cover numerous countries including those currently affected and those potentially affected in the future. In the event that we raise more money than can be reasonably and efficiently spent, any surplus funds will be used to help us prepare for and respond to other humanitarian disasters either overseas or here in the UK. For more information visit redcross.org.uk.
The British Red Cross helps people in crisis, whoever and wherever they are. We are part of a global voluntary network, responding to conflicts, natural disasters and individual emergencies.
We enable vulnerable people in the UK and abroad to prepare for and withstand emergencies in their own communities. And when the crisis is over, we help them to recover and move on with their lives.
MEDIA RELEASE posted by the British Red Cross (Scotland). You too can post media releases (aka press releases) on allmediascotland.com. For more information, email here.
Contact: Mark South
Phone: 0207 877 7042 or out of hours 07659 145095
Email: msouth@redcross.org.uk
Website: http://www.redcross.org.uk
