20110304
Xinhua
TUNIS, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Assistant Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Eric Laroche, warned Thursday against an impending danger of epidemics threatening refugees on Tunisia's Ras El Jedir border point with Libya.

He said at a press conference that the Tunisian shelters are full of refugees, and that many of them still have to sleep on the ground and are currently suffering from diarrhea, influenza and respiratory illnesses.

He said Tunisia has showed "remarkable" solidarity with the refugees, and thanked Tunisian authorities including the army, the ministry of public health and the Tunisian Red Crescent for that.

Meanwhile, WHO's representative in Tunisia, Stephano Lazzari, said emergency measures had been taken in view of setting up an early warning system to detect potential epidemics among the refugees.

Also on Thursday, European Commissioner in charge of international cooperation, humanitarian aid and reaction to crises, Kristalina Gorgieva, announced in Tunisia that the European Union is allocating 10 million euros (13.9 million U.S. dollars) in aid to Tunisia to help evacuate the flow of refugees from Libya.

The aid will cater for the most pressing needs of the refugees crossing the Tunisian-Libyan border in terms of medical aid, food supplies, blankets and tents, she said.