Doctors Without Borders, an independent international medical aid group, announced Wednesday that it has evacuated its teams operating in Benghazi, Libya, to Egypt, as pro-regime forces advance toward the rebel stronghold.
A statement from the organization said that its crews have departed from the city along with other relief workers and reporters due to the violent clashes between rebels and forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi.
The group, also known as Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF), revealed that its teams are currently situated in Egypt's coastal city of Alexandria, but will continue supplying Libya's medical institutions with medicine and medical equipment.
A spokesperson for MSF said the organization has until now provided Libya with 33 tonnes of medical supplies. Other teams are located on the country's borders with Tunisia but have been denied access by Libyan authorities.
Battles heated up on Tuesday at the city of Ajdabiya, near Benghazi. State-run television announced on Wednesday that Ajdabiya had been purged of Al-Qaeda-affiliated “mercenaries” and “terrorists.”
The Libyan government predicted victory within days. Meanwhile, international players continue consultations over a proposed no-fly zone over Libya to curb east-bound Qadhafi forces.
