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Location : Wasted Space Job/hobbies : Cayman Islands Actuary
| Subject: Misrata, Libya: Horror of life in a city under statists' siege Mon Jul 11, 2011 5:18 am | |
| Four months of fighting have left Misrata with a cashless economy reliant on charity and camaraderie, writes Tracey Shelton.
MISRATA, Libya: Small children and old men work daily to clear the rubble-strewn streets. Women cook meals to send to fighters on the frontlines. Those with cars run a free taxi service for those who need a lift. Stores give away food to locals who cannot afford to pay.
This is the misery of Misrata, where four months of grinding siege have left a nearly cashless economy based on charity, camaraderie and revolution.
It is an atmosphere of hardship and heartbreak. Over half the city lies in ruins. Brothers, fathers and sons from almost every household risk their lives defending the city from the forces of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi which surround it. Day and night attacks from Grad ground-to-ground rockets claim victims indiscriminately. The hospitals are overwhelmed, attending to an average of 70 casualties a day. Fear and mental anguish are also taking a toll.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/horror-of-life-in-a-city-under-siege-20110710-1h8tp.html |
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