Austrian aid for Libyan refugees
The Austrian government will support Libyan refugees, it has been announced.Maria Fekter, interior minister in the coalition of Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the conservative Peoples Party (ÖVP), said today (Fri) Austria will send 15,000 so-called hygiene packages to refugee camps set up in Tunisia and Egypt where people fleeing from the civil war in the country are currently being looked after.The ÖVP vice chairman announced the decision after meeting with United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who appealed to Austria for support and representatives of the administration of US President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C.The joint SPÖ-ÖVP administration is expected to send more goods to the camps, while Austrian charities and non-government organisations (NGOs) started to plan their aid missions in the region.ÖVP Finance Minister Josef Pröll announced earlier this week his party and the SPÖ agreed on supporting the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the IOM (International Organization for Migration) with 250,000 Euros each. Pröll explained the money will be supplied by the Austrian governments disaster fund.