Despite the hardships, thousands of Tuaregs are settling down in Zuwara, fleeing the war and misery of their restive region<\/p>\n
By Karlos Zurutuza<\/p>\n
ZUWARA, Libya – It\u2019s not easy to sweep the streets of a city in constant struggle with the beach. When it rains, it\u2019s mission impossible – how does a street cleaner deal with that compact mixture of sand, dust and garbage? These are some of the questions Mohammed Ayssa has been asking himself for the past three years.<\/p>\n
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\u2018Officially we don\u2019t exist\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n At 28, Hassan Mohamed combines sporadic jobs to survive with his work in the Tuareg Committee, a recently set up umbrella organisation for this displaced community.<\/p>\n Mohamed speaks of 120 registered families, but he insists there are many more. As if hunger and misery were not enough, administrative obstacles also add to the drama.<\/p>\n “One of the main problems we face is that many of us do not have a passport or the ID most Libyans have since 2011. Officially we don\u2019t exist, and that is obviously a big hurdle when it comes to receiving medical attention or sending children to school,” explains Mohamed from the tiny apartment he shares with Aysha, his mother.<\/p>\n The 50-year-old woman suffers from both diabetes and stomach problems. She says she\u2019d need to receive treatment abroad, but that\u2019s not an option without papers.<\/p>\n