Update: U.S. Government Humanitarian Assistance in Response to the Libya Crisis

The United States is deeply concerned about the welfare of the hundreds of thousands of civilians displaced and caught up in the Libya conflict. We continue to call upon Libyan authorities to provide humanitarian actors with full access to those in need and to ensure the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance. We applaud the hospitality extended by neighboring states to those who have had to flee the country.

As of June 9, 2011, the U.S. government is providing over $80 million in humanitarian assistance for those affected by the conflict in Libya. This includes an additional $26.5 million U.S. contribution announced earlier today in Abu Dhabi. These additional funds will help fund the efforts of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the World Health Organization (WHO) in such areas as basic life support for refugees and other persons of concern (for example people who had been refugees in Libya) in Tunisia and Egypt, evacuation of stranded migrants back to their home countries, and delivery of life-saving medical aid inside Libya (please see the chart below for additional details).

U.S. government humanitarian assistance enables humanitarian organizations both inside Libya and in Tunisia and Egypt to provide life-saving assistance and protection to those in need including Libyan and third-country nationals displaced inside Libya as well as to neighboring countries of asylum. Our funding supports:

Food, water, shelter, and sanitation for displaced populations and others affected by the conflict;
Medical care for the general population as well as war-wounded, along with the provision of supplies and training for health personnel;
Evacuation and repatriation of third-country nationals to their countries of origin in Africa and Asia; and
Clearance of mines, unexploded ordnance, and explosive remnants of war that directly impact security and stability, hinder economic recovery, and limit the delivery of essential goods, services, and humanitarian aid.

The United States has deployed teams of disaster response experts to the region. These teams are working closely with host governments, the United Nations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other international partners to assess and address urgent humanitarian needs in Libya and neighboring countries.

Total U.S. Government Funding for Humanitarian Assistance for People Affected by the Crisis in Libya
from March 2011 to June 9, 2011

Implementing Partner	Activity	Amount
World Food Program (WFP)	Emergency food operations to respond to immediate food requirements within Libya ($5m) and in the affected border regions within Tunisia and Egypt ($5m).	$10,000,000
International Organization for Migration (IOM)	Evacuation and repatriation programs for third-country nationals.	$27,500,000
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)	Medical and surgical care, water and sanitation facilities, protection of detainees and conflict victims.	$17,700,000
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)	Assistance and protection for Libyan internally displaced persons as well as refugees and migrants in Tunisia, Egypt, Italy, and Malta.	$14,500,000
World Health Organization (WHO)	Support for the Tunisian Ministry of Public Health to respond to the medical needs of Libyans, third-country nationals, and host communities in Tunisia.	$300,000
NGOs and other international organizations	Support for other international and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working to meet humanitarian needs, including funding for NGOs operating inside Libya to implement emergency health interventions and provision of emergency relief commodities (emergency health kits, trauma kits, blankets, plastic sheeting, water containers).	$10,000,000
NGOs that specialize in weapons abatement	The destruction of unexploded ordnance and mines in Libya.	$957,607
	TOTAL		$80,957,607

www.ofr.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2011-14482_PI.pdf

www.ice.gov/news/library/factsheets/libyan-student-employment.htm

NOTE The following text is a quote:

www.ice.gov/news/releases/1106/110609washingtondc2.htm

JUNE 9, 2011 WASHINGTON, DC
ICE announces employment authorization eligibility for certain Libyan students

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Fact Sheet

WASHINGTON - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has announced special relief for certain F-1 Libyan students who have suffered severe economic hardship as a direct result of the civil unrest in Libya since February 2011. This relief applies only to students who were lawfully present in the United States in F-1 status on Feb. 1, 2011, and enrolled in an institution that is certified by ICE’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program.

ICE has published a notice in the Federal Register suspending certain regulatory requirements in order to allow eligible Libyan F-1 students to obtain employment authorization, work an increased number of hours during the school term, and, if necessary, reduce their course load while continuing to maintain their F-1 student status.

“We want to ensure that students from Libya, who were here when civil unrest began, are able to continue their studies without the worry of financial burdens due to the armed conflict,” said Louis Farrell, director for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. “The changes announced in this notice will allow eligible students from Libya to obtain employment authorization so that they can meet their basic living expenses while continuing to pursue their education in the United States.”

There has been an ongoing armed conflict in Libya since February.

Approximately 2,000 Libyan F-1 students are currently enrolled in schools in the United States. The armed conflict in Libya has increased the financial burden on many of these students, who previously relied on assistance from the Libyan government or family members in Libya to meet basic living expenses. In addition, the situation in Libya has made it unfeasible for these students to safely return to Libya in the foreseeable future.

ICE manages the Student and Exchange Visitor Program and the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, which automates the process for collecting, maintaining, and managing information about international foreign students, exchange visitors and their dependents during their stay in the United States.

The Department of State has also announced special relief for certain Libyan J-1 exchange visitors who have suffered severe economic hardship as a direct result of the civil unrest in Libya since February 2011. More information about this relief is available in the Federal Register.

To learn more about the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, visit www.ice.gov.

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