More than 100,000 Asian workers are believed to be still stranded as Asian envoys to the United Nations pleaded for international help to rescue those caught in the Libya uprising.
According to diplomats, about 26,000 people from the Philippines, 25,000 from Thailand, more than 50,000 Bangladeshis, 18,000 Indians and thousands from China, Nepal and Vietnam are still trapped as Moamer Kadhafi seeks to stifle protests against his rule.
China used a navy frigate in a massive sea and air operation to bring out about 30,000 people.
Thailand’s UN ambassador told the UN General Assembly that 2,000 people representing only a fraction of the total number of Thais in Tripoli were brought out on a chartered ship on Monday.
The Philippine government has organized bus convoys for hundreds of workers from Libya into neighboring Tunisia and a chartered Greek ferry was due to arrive in the eastern port of Benghazi on Tuesday to take Filipinos to Malta.
India has also chartered a ship to get nationals out with about 3,600 of the estimated 18,000 in the country already evacuated.
The Bangladesh government has faced protests over the slow pace of action getting about 60,000 migrant workers out of Libya.
About 10,000 Vietnamese and hundreds of Nepalese have started getting out of Libya.
