articles/Conflict/libyan-page4
by Darrin Zammit-Lupi Published 01/08/2013
A rebel soldier watches as volunteers unload aid packages from a Malta and French Red Cross chartered ship in Misrata, a few hours before Gaddafi forces fired over 200 Grad missles into the port, severing the besieged city's only lifeline to the outside world April 13, 2011.
As soon as I heard the catamaran would be returning to Libya for more evacuees, I once again tried to organise getting on board. Unfortunately, though the ferry company's management was more than happy to allow me to travel on the catamaran, the vessel's captain would have none of it, not wanting the responsibility of a single extra person on board.
The pressure didn't let up much for the next five weeks or so. Several passenger ferries and naval vessels repeatedly brought evacuees to the island - once again it was important to get pictures of evacuees of as many different nationalities as possible to serve as wide a range of clients as possible. They came at all times of the day and night in very often wet, cold and windy weather. I certainly became very deprived of sleep, but I wasn't complaining. Few things in one's professional career can beat the satisfaction of working on such a major story.
A protester argues with police officers during a protest outside the Libyan Embassy in Balzan, outside Valletta, February 22, 2011. The protest was organised by the Libyan community living in Malta to rally against the Libyan government's crackdown on COVERING demonstrators.
Though the tempo did ease off eventually, Malta's involvement never stopped. It remained a humanitarian and logistical hub throughout the conflict, for a long time also providing the only viable sea-link to the besieged city of Misrata.
It was through that sea-link that I eventually managed to get to Libya in April. I was given an hour's notice to pack a bag and dash down to the harbour to board a Red Crosschartered vessel that was going to deliver around 80 tonnes of desperately needed aid. My time on the ground was very limited however - because of insurance purposes, I had to stay in the harbour in the immediate vicinity of the ship. The area was quiet while we were there unloading the vessel - we could hear high-flying aircraft and the dull thud of distant explosions, and see smoke rising from the city, but we were relatively safe. Once we started sailing back to Malta, the port area where we'd docked was hit by around 200 Grad rockets. My guess is that the Libyan government forces did not want to hit a ship clearly marked as a Red Cross vessel, but had no qualms about trying to destroy the supplies we'd brought in.
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