IR USA staff member Seyed Mowlana is on the Libyan border in Tunisia. He is reporting his experience daily. Below are excerpts from his latest diary entry.
March 6, 2011
The sound of gunfire rattled the air, bringing the swarm of people at the Libyan border to attention. As I made my way through the crowd to assess the scene, it appeared that the shots were fired in order to control the crowd.
Some people noticed me filming and soon approached, grabbing me by the neck, and began speaking to me in Arabic in a threatening manner. Someone nearby came to my rescue speaking in Arabic and somehow diffused the situation. At that point, I decided to observe from a distance and noticed another crowd that had other issues to deal with.
A few Egyptians had just crossed the border exhausted and angered at what they had to experience on the way. They complained, as many others had before them, about all their money and belongings being taken away from them at the Libyan border. I wasn’t able to talk to them long because media control stepped in, rushing them into their buses.
Meanwhile at the campgrounds, many refugees still waited for word on their future, hoping they would soon be able to make it back home. People poured in daily, and as the numbers increased so did the need for supplies. The UN started expansion on the campgrounds in order to accommodate the refugees flowing in. So many people are still facing a fate in limbo.
Islamic Relief and other organizations are helping people at the border. We are providing shelter, food, water and hygiene items. But so many people are still flooding in each day, and many of them have nothing. I hope we can help them, but of course that depends on support from donors.
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