CAIRO: Hakim Malak has been spending nights in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affair’s headquarters, calling on the Egyptian government to bring back his brother and cousin, trapped at Misrata’s port in Libya.
"God knows if they are dead or alive now … [Moammar] Qaddafi hates Egyptians and can burn the country down if he feels that he will be defeated," Malak said.
Families of Egyptians have been holding protests in front of the foreign ministry for several days, demanding the government take action to bring back their sons from Libya.
The ministry responded by saying that it needs permissions from Libyan authorities, rebels and coalition forces in order to send a ship to carry Egyptians home.
For over a month without food, shelter or medical care, around 12,000 Egyptians have been sleeping in tents waiting for a ship to carry them back home after they escaped turmoil in Libya.
Malak’s brother Lamei Malak and his cousin Hany Nashaat, along with five other Egyptians from their hometown of Sohag, have been working in Libya for one and a half year as cobble workers.
"We lost contact with them 20 days ago, last time we talked they said that they are staying at the port waiting for a ship that will carry them home as the Egyptian embassy told them," Malak said.
"They said that some people provide them with food and that there are many who caught pneumonia and can’t find medication," he added.
Sanaa Abdel Hamid, mother of Sameh Hamdy an Egyptian construction worker, last heard from her son on March 2. He headed to the port after news came that a ship has arrived to evacuate Egyptians.
A colleague of his, who works as a technician, managed to get on board a foreign ship after its crew asked for technicians to fix it in return of transportation and told her that Sameh is still waiting.
"Everyday I call the foreign ministry but they say the can’t do anything and today they aren’t answering. I haven’t heard from him for a long time and I don’t know anything about him," she said.
The ministry said they sent a ship to Misrata but Libyan authorities turned it back and the ministry is now considering other options.
"The situation there is difficult, we failed to send a ship amid the refusal of Libyan authorities and we are now considering other options to evacuate Egyptians," said Mohamed Abdel Hakam, the foreign minister’s assistant for Egyptians abroad, in a press conference earlier this week.
With the city situated in the middle of Libya, 600 km from Benghazi and 250 km from Tripoli, leaving through terrestrial roads involves the risk of being bombed or caught in the middle of the ongoing fights between rebels and Qaddafi’s militia.
Farouk Saleh said that since the crisis began he asked his son, Ahmed who has worked as an accountant in Libya for six months, to return. A ship arrived but it only carried families and elder people, he said, and his son was left behind.
Contact with Ahmed has been lost since a no-fly zone was imposed over Libya.
"Before the ban, he told me that they are fine and that food is available but Libyan rebels urged Egyptian authorities to take Egyptians home because they can’t protect them anymore," Saleh said.
According to Malak, a French ship arrived earlier to carry Egyptians; however no one was informed so it left without them on board.
Hareidy Mohamed from Assiut said his two sons, Islam and Hatem, are trapped in Libya along with many other residents from their village.
"They went to Tripoli but they were told to return to Misrata and wait for a ship that will carry them but never arrived," he said.
Mohamed filed a complaint to the Prime Minister’s office and the joined protests in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with other families who spent around 10 nights in front of its headquarters.
On the other hand, the rebels vowed to secure the road for Egyptians to return home.
"The rebels have been treating them very warmly but they can’t take care of them for long as the battles continue," Malak said.
But as protests in front of the ministry and deadly battles in Libya continue, families of Egyptians remain hopeful in the return of their loved ones.
"They went there because they can’t find jobs in Egypt. Now all we want is to hear from them," Malak said.
