Charity worker helped load journalists' bodies on boat

Published on Friday 22 April 2011 15:41

A WORKER with the Edinburgh-based Mercy Corps charity has spoken of the horror in Libya after helping to load the bodies of two journalists killed in the war-torn city of Misrata on to a boat.

A small team from the humanitarian organisation have helped to transport more than 2,000 people from Misrata to the relative safety of Benghazi since arriving in Misrata last Thursday morning.

The charity, which is leading an assessment of the humanitarian needs in the area, has been helping to evacuate people from the besieged city with the Ionian Spirit boat, alongside the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

However, the team also had the harrowing task of helping to load the bodies of two journalists, Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros, killed in Misrata last week, on to the boat to be taken to Benghazi.

The charity's Steve Haley who is at the scene told the Evening News: "As the boat Mercy Corps and IOM are using is the main transport between the two cities, our team also helped to load the bodies of the two journalists killed in Misrata on to the Ionian Spirit to be taken to Benghazi. It's obviously been a very difficult time."

The group, which arrived in Libya last month, is examining how the charity can help those in need, looking at areas such as food provision and the conflict's impact on children.

A spokeswoman for Mercy Corps said: "The psychological impact on children can be really huge. The team are now staying in Misrata itself for a few days to take a good look at the humanitarian situation, so we can see how best Mercy Corps and other international aid agencies can help.

"The Mercy Corps team in Misrata are looking at how food supplies in the city have been affected, as many shops are closed and as most warehouses have been destroyed."

American-born Mr Haley, who plans to stay in Libya long-term, said instead of going to work or school, adults and children were waiting in three-hour-long queues for bread or fuel, or taking care of other families in need.

"It's not life, it's survival," he added.

Mercy Corps said food and water shortages were becoming an increasing problem, as well as the impact on children, with Mr Haley planning a trip to an orphanage in Misrata.

"Food and water issues are a concern for us, things are starting to get quite scarce in the shops," said the spokeswoman.

The team's assessment will be used by the charity to decide how best to help people.

The charity's spokeswoman added: "For now, how and when the conflict will end is unclear, as is the fate of thousands of civilians."But we're doing everything we can."

Oscar-nominated British documentary-maker Tim Hetherington, 40, co-creator of the Sundance-winning documentary Restrepo, was killed last week while covering the fighting.

Chris Hondros, 41, a US Pulitzer finalist, who worked for Getty Images, was also killed. His work has appeared in newspapers around the world.