European evacuation of Libya nearly done

BRUSSELS, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- The last Europeans who want to get out of Libya will be evacuated within days, an EU official said Monday.

The EUObserver quoted the unnamed official in Brussels saying only about 500 European Union passport-holders are still waiting to leave and about 1,000 wish to stay.

Two Romanian flights are expected to pick up remaining evacuees from the Tripoli airport Monday. A Dutch and a British warship are also heading for the coast.

The official said there have been no reports of EU citizens hurt in the bloody conflict, but some have been robbed.

Citizens of other countries have been allowed on EU evacuation flights and Libyan authorities have cooperated by issuing exit visas.

"I don't know of anybody who was refused boarding on a plane who wanted it," the official said. "Not only Europeans."

EU Aid Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva said 100,000 people are estimated to have fled Libya.