Malta asks for help

"Gonzi calls for aid," headlines the Times of Malta. Faced with a huge influx of Western refugees from Libya, the Valleta daily reports that Malta’s Prime Minister "has called upon the EU and the international community to assist Malta in its humanitarian mission," which has now entered a "sensitive and delicate" phase. Authorities on the island are assisting "hundreds of people" who are awaiting transport to other destinations, who "could be left without the basic necessities, such as food and medicines." Since the start of the Libyan uprising, "8,000 people from 89 countries" have escaped the country via Valetta, and thousands more are expected. In its editorial the newspaper describes Malta as "a peace-loving and bridge-building nation,” which aims to hold out "the hand of friendship to neighbours to the north, south, east and west."