1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
Live TV
Latest audioLatest videos
In focus
Middle EastUS election Ukraine

Refugee crisis

March 3, 2011

The German foreign minister has announced that Berlin will send warships to evacuate refugees fleeing to Tunisia from Libya. Meanwhile, the UN and Red Cross are warning of a humanitarian catastrophe in North Africa.

https://p.dw.com/p/10Stl
Egyptian refugees
Thousand of Egyptians have fled Libya for TunisiaImage: dapd

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle announced Thursday that Berlin will send three warships to evacuate refugees who fled to Tunisia after escaping violence in Libya.

Westerwelle made the announcement in Bratislava where he is meeting with officials from Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

"The German government has decided to bring migrants from Tunisia to Egypt," the foreign minister said.

Most of the 4,000 refugees set to be evacuated are Egyptians who were caught in the uprising against Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.

Humanitarian crisis

The United Nations and the Red Cross have warned of a looming humanitarian catastrophe. More than 10,000 refugees are fleeing from Libya to Tunisia every day.

"The images coming out of Tunisia are overwhelming," Westerwelle said.

He added that he expects the evacuation to begin on Friday. The operation is an international effort sanctioned by the United Nations. European countries and the US have mobilized planes, ships and money in an effort to prevent a crisis.

Political protests have gripped North Africa since January, toppling the governments in both Tunisia and Egypt. Libya descended into violence in February after Gadhafi responded to demonstrations with military force.

Author: Spencer Kimball (dpa, AFP)
Editor: Martin Kuebler

Skip next section Explore more

Explore more

Libyan rebels battle Gadhafi loyalists in Brega

Libyan rebels face new attacks by Gadhafi forces

Libyan rebels face new attacks by Gadhafi forces

After repelling a counteroffensive by the regime, Libyan rebels are defending themselves against another attack by Gadhafi loyalists. Meanwhile, the US has cooled talk of quickly imposing a no-fly zone over Libya. (03.03.2011)
March 3, 2011
A pro-Gadhafi youth riding in the back of a pickup truck brandishes a knife

Gadhafi loyalists capture Dutch soldiers during botched evacuation

Gadhafi loyalists capture Dutch soldiers during botched evacuation

Three Dutch soldiers have been taken by armed men loyal to leader Moammar Gadhafi, according to the Dutch Defense Ministry. The soldiers were evacuating two European citizens from the country rocked by civil unrest. (03.03.2011)
March 3, 2011
Portrait: Moammar Gadhafi

Focus: Turmoil in Libya

Focus: Turmoil in Libya

DW-WORLD takes a close look at the protests in major oil-producing nation Libya - and what it means for the rest of the world. Click here for multimedia coverage on the ongoing upheaval there.
November 9, 2011