Gims cancels concert in Tunisia over treatment of refugees

Rapper Gims has announced the cancellation of his concert scheduled for August 11 in Tunisia, in Djerba, in order to protest against "the unbearable distress" in which the migrants stuck between Tunisia and Libya find themselves.

"Children, women, men, expelled from Tunisia to Libya, live in inhuman conditions," the rapper wrote on his Instagram account on Sunday.

"I cannot maintain my visit to Tunisia, scheduled for August 11," he added. "I don't know where the solutions are. But this extreme distress is unbearable."

On Thursday, the UN called for "urgent solutions" to save the hundreds of refugees and migrants stranded for several weeks in dire conditions near Tunisia's borders with Libya and Algeria.

Many of these African migrants were driven out of the Tunisian city of Sfax (center-east), the main point of departure for illegal emigration to Europe, following clashes that claimed the life of a Tunisian on 3 July.

These people were transported and abandoned - according to NGOs - in inhospitable areas near Libya (east) and Algeria (west).

These migrants "are stuck in the desert, facing extreme heat and without access to shelter, food or water", alerted the UN agencies for refugees (UNHCR) and migrants. (IOM), noting that there are reports of deaths.