Libya: MSF warns about conditions of detention of 800 migrants in Zuwara

May 07, 2018

Credits: REUTERS/Hani Amara

The detention centre in Zuwara is managed by the internationally-recognized Tripoli government and receives migrants intercepted at sea while trying to reach Italy. Many of them have been held for more than five months, reports MSF.

MSF spokeswoman, Ellen Van der Velden, explains to RFI the conditions of detention and the illnesses migrants suffer from.

"In some centres, space is a real problem. We saw migrants who had barely half a square meter where to sit and were forced to sleep on top of each other. There was not enough toilets and not enough water for basic hygiene standards. Water and food are often distributed in very small quantities, "she says.

"We try to provide medical care to these people but we found out that very often they suffer from diseases like skin infections, scabies and illnesses related to their conditions of detention. For now, there are not epidemic cases, but there are a lot of respiratory problems and infections that young people of this age should not have, "adds Ellen Van der Velden.