Awwal 28, 1432 H/March 3, 2011, SPA -- At least 180,000 people have now fled Libya amid unrest, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said Thursday. According to dpa, UNHCR has called on the international community to urgently help with a massive evacuation to their home countries of tens of thousands of foreigners stuck at Tunisia's border with Libya. Most are migrant workers from Egypt and Tunisia, but there are also people of many other nationalities. The agency has warned there would be "a huge humanitarian disaster" unless solid measures were taken to alleviate the border situation. Melissa Fleming, a spokeswoman, said that people fleeing the country were fearful and worried for their future. UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie, the US actress, has called for the protection of civilians. "It is critical that all parties respect the fundamental right of people in danger to flee to safety - whether civilians caught in conflict in their own country or refugees and asylum-seekers caught in new conflicts," Jolie said.
