DRC started working in Tunisia in the spring of 2011, responding to the influx of refugees, resulting from the ongoing conflict in Libya.

In Tunisia DRC works both to help Libyan nationals who have crossed the border into Tunisia, citing violence and intensified fighting as reason of their departure, and Third Country Nationals originating from countries in Asia and Africa, a majority being from sub Saharan Africa.

In Shousha camp, where about 4000 third country nationals are living, DRC works with community mobilization and protection monitoring. DRC set up life skills activties, information, counselling and monitoring of sensitive cases.

Most Libyan Nationals (95%) have found shelter with Tunisian host families. As many Tunisian host families have ‘grown’ from a household of seven to 33 persons when opening their homes to the Libyan Nationals, DRC furthermore distributed basic non-food items, such as blankets and kitchen ware, to about 3000 refugee families.

DRC is currently working on profiling the group of refugees and their most pressing needs, to better understand the problems and coping strategies of the Libyan families crossing into Tunisia as welll as the limitations and capacity of the hosting communities and individuals.

Specifically the profiling will help to document the demographic structure of the population of concern, get a quantified overview (mapping) of the locations of origin and of displacement,  identify  the vulnerable groups and their problems, obtain a better understanding of protection and assistance needs in order to target efficiently the required humanitarian interventions for the Libyan families and understand the capacity and limitations of local support structures – individual hosts and civil society groups- in order to strengthen both  for sustained support throughout the crisis.

Donors and partners

• UNHCR - The UN Refugee Agency
• OFDA
• NFI distribution has so far been funded by DRC own funds.

Photo by: Philippe Schneider