For nearly four years, Fatima has been dreaming about returning to her hometown of Tawergha and away from the filthy refugee camp on the airport road in the Falah area of Tripoli where she now lives. The camp lacks basic necessities and Fatima’s eldest daughter suffers from a rash caused by insects in the camp. Fatima is among more than 40,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Tawergha who have been homeless since the fall of Gaddafi in 2011.

For nearly four years, Fatima has been dreaming about returning to her hometown of Tawergha and away from the filthy refugee camp on the airport road in the Falah area of Tripoli where she now lives. The camp lacks basic necessities and Fatima’s eldest daughter suffers from a rash caused by insects in the camp. Fatima is among more than 40,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Tawergha who have been homeless since the fall of Gaddafi in 2011.

Fatima’s dream is finally about to come true. This past May, neighboring cities, Misrata and Tawergha, agreed to facilitate the return the residents of Tawergha to their hometown by December.  

Abdel Rahman Shakshak, Head of the Local Council in Tawergha said the situation in the camps is backward and unhealthy, as the houses are worn out and have no windows, there is no sewage system and diseases are rampant, in addition to the tragic educational levels. “All these difficulties and tragic situations cannot be over unless we return to our hometown,” he said.

Compulsory residence

In the meantime and while the Ministry of Local Governance in Tripoli takes its time to prepare the plan, 26-year-old Omar, who used to live in Tawergha with his family of five in a four-bedroom apartment, currently resides in a room at the camp that is also a kitchen, a bedroom and a living room.

Shared bathrooms between families are overflowing with sewage, which has reached the rooms where eight families live. Hayat, another IDP lives in a house with no windows and no water supply and her family deals with the threat of armed gangs.

Serious efforts

Ali Abu Setta, member of the Local Council of Misrata said the council formed a committee of nine members tasked with preparing a comprehensive file for the Tawergha’s return, particularly in regards to compensation, reconstruction, legal procedures and transitional justice.

Abu Setta explained that the Tawergha situation will be referred to Tripoli’s government and represented in the Ministry of Local Governance, as soon as the committee’s work is done, in order to determine the return date and implementation method, assuring that Misrata welcomes the dialogue.

Crisis budget

The Ministry of Local Governance in Tripoli announced its intention to prepare a comprehensive plan to supervise the return of the refugees to their hometown.

Deputy Minister Mohammad Lafi said when the joint committee between Misrata and Tawergha agrees and refers an official comprehensive note on the numbers of the refugees and set the return date, the ministry will allocate a crisis budget for families before their return.

Lafi added that there is no water in Tawergha and its infrastructure is destroyed, but the ministry will work on fixing some problems. He also explained that the Tawergha case needs organized action before starting the return process.