Niger seeks aid for those fleeing Libya conflict

Niamey, 28 Apr – (ANA) - Niger has appealed for help to deal with some 59,000 Africans who have fled Libya since February.

The International Organization of Migration (IOM) said many of them arrive penniless and in a bad condition after gruelling desert trips.

The IOM's Abibatou Wane said the influx from Libya was expected to continue.

Many sub-Saharan Africans have worked for years in Libya in low-paid jobs in the oil, agriculture and construction sectors or as domestic servants.

The Libyan uprising against Col Muammar Gaddafi's rule has developed into an armed conflict pitting rebels against government forces and drawing in a Nato-led coalition with a UN mandate to protect civilians.

The UN believes at least 335,000 people have fled Libya since the beginning of the conflict, including at least 200,000 foreign nationals. (ANA)

FA/ANA/28 April 2011-------