GLOBALMAXIM: REFUGEES SUFFER on TUNISIA-LIBYA BORDER -- UNHCR's ANTONIO GUTERRES

GLOBALMAXIM: 08 March 2011 -- UNHCR: United Nations Refugee Agency: Tunisia-Libya border - Around 200,000 people have fled the worsening violence in Libya for neighboring countries in the past two weeks; fifteen-thousand of them have found refuge in a camp on the border with Tunisia, receiving aid from the international community. But many carry with them stories of increasing violence on the other side of the border, and being targeted by gangs and all their belongings stripped from them along the way. Meanwhile, with fighting escalating in Libya, more migrants and refugees continue to arrive including young families. The first to escape the violence were young men. But now in Tunisia and elsewhere women and children are finding their way out of the country as well. This pregnant young Somali mother arrived safely last week. Fuad, who is also from Somalia, escaped Tripoli with his wife and young son, Mohammed. He describes being attacked at roadblocks on the way to the border. Most of the people here report being robbed of everything they owned on their way out of the country. But most are also grateful just to be alive. SOUNDBITE (English) Antonio Guterres, High Commissioner for Refugees: "The first thing that we cannot fail to feel is an enormous anger for what's going on, for the fighting that is going on, for the fact that the fighting does not stop, and people are suffering so much and. This is the result of what is happening in Libya. I think it is very important to recognize all the countries that have been supporting this operation, all those that for instance have put boats or ships or planes at our disposal to help people go back home. More than 50,000 Egyptians have gone back home. Now we have Bangladeshis, about 17,000 in Egypt and in Tunisia that want to go back home. It is necessary that all those countries that have been supporting this operation will go on doing that and that international solidarity is expressed in a very effective way." SOUNDBITE (English) Fuad, Somali Refugee: "They shocked you, they shocked you yeah. And they take the gun, they act like they kill you, you know, so they take our phones you know, they take our SIM card, and they take money." GLOBALMAXIM: See: http://www.GlobalMaxim.com MaximsNewsNetwork See: http://www.MaximsNews.com News Network for the United Nations and the International Community "GIVING POWER & RESONANCE TO THE VOICE OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY" ..........