Given the topic, I am going to start and I will ask my colleagues from CIDA to provide details on the humanitarian aid for victims of sexual violence.
Unfortunately, as of now, we have no information indicating that the violence has ended. As I said in my statement, it is difficult to obtain information on this type of crime since the victims are very anxious about making information public and even about looking for help, support or advice from experts. I have heard stories about centres that are trying to help the victims but are hindered by the fact that the women don't want to open the door or enter the building marked: “for victims of sexual violence”. That is a great concern.
It will be very difficult to obtain more information and see an end to this problem because international assistance is going to be needed. In my view, what would be of most help to those women and girls would actually be to put an end to the current regime that is committing this type of violence against them.
I would just like to stress that we are trying to make an effort; there is actually a Canadian-Libyan NGO in Tunisia right now trying to help those women, not by using a direct approach, but by making family centres available to provide psychological help to children in order for them to deal with the violence they have witnessed. Also, at those centres, by talking to the families, attempts are being made to obtain a little more information about what happened to the mothers.
That is what we are doing about it. As I said, this is a country where rape is not openly discussed. There is no system in place or actual experience with the issue because it is a crime that has always been hushed up in the past.