UNHCR to set up 1,500 new tents in S Tunisian refugee camp

Some 1,500 new tents will be installed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) organization, following the destruction of two thirds of the Choucha refugee transit camp due to clashes between the local population and African refugees during the weekend, the official Tunisian press agency TAP reported on Friday evening.

Two thirds of Choucha camp was destroyed during the latest incidents opposing African refugees and local inhabitants from Ben Guerdane. Choucha was calm on Friday as Tunisian authorities were trying to separate African refugees to avoid clashes between them.

On the other hand, hundreds of Libyan refugees crossed into Tunisia on Friday fleeing the violence in their homeland, TAP said.

Some 34 Libyan high level army officers and civilians also arrived onboard two small vessels in the southern port of El Ketf in Zarzis, TAP reported.

During the weekend at least two African refugees were killed in clashes between the local population and refugees in the southern Tunisian transit camp of Choucha. The refugees, mostly from Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia, were protesting against poor living conditions and a slow rhythm of evacuation to European countries.

UNHCR said that it would speed up the evacuation of Africans, adding that some 34 Eritreans will soon be evacuated towards Romania.

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