Libya: 1M children @ Risk

i read this article and just wanna share it to those who doesn't know yet. . .

More than 1 million children in western Libya are in serious danger as government forces vie with protesters for control of key towns and cities, including the country's capital Tripoli.

Wednesday 2 March 2011

A child holds a "Kindgom of Libya" flag while anti-government demonstrators listen to a speech in Benghazi, Libya.

We have gathered testimony from families and children in Tripoli and nearby towns, who have spoken of their fears of death, injury and arrest as Libyan security forces continue to crack down on opposition protesters. It is estimated that over a million children live in the area.

"The danger posed to children in Libya by political violence and its consequences, such as shortages of essential goods, is massive," said Gareth Owen, Save the Children's emergency director.

"The situation in Libya could quickly spiral out of control, and that would be a disaster for hundreds of thousands of children, who could be forced to flee their homes, or worse, get caught up in serious violence."

A thirteen year-old boy from Tripoli interviewed by Save the Children described the climate of fear in the city. "I'm terrified, scared, not feeling safe, and I'm afraid I'll be an orphan," he said. "I've heard that fathers of my friends are being taken and 'disappeared.'"

700,000 children are believed to live in Tripoli, where the humanitarian situation remains unclear due to difficulties in gaining independent access to the civilian population.

Reports from the city suggest that schools are closed, with many people staying at home rather than risking attracting the attention of security forces patrolling the streets.

Meanwhile, in the opposition-controlled town of Zawiya, Save the Children spoke to a mother who described fears of her family being caught in violence if government forces, currently surrounding the town, tried to retake control.

"I have heard that mercenaries are surrounding the area and preventing any supplies coming in," she said. "I am worried that there is going to be a shortage of food as a result of this siege. When I hear a bang, I think that the house has been hit."

The fears of families living in the west of the country reflect a deeply volatile situation that has already caused more than 100,000 people, mainly migrant workers, to flee Libya to Egypt and Tunisia.

There are reports that Libyan families trying to leave the country are being harassed by security forces on their side of the border.