NZ AFS student to be evacuated from Tunisia

AFS exchange students in Tunis Tunisia, Louise Berwick (C) from Timaru. Photo / Supplied

A Timaru teenager caught up in Tunisia's violent uprising while on an AFS exchange will be evacuated from the north African country, AFS says.

Louise Berwick, 17 next week, went to Tunisia in August and is living with a family on the outskirts of the capital, Tunis, where long-term President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was ousted on Friday.

At least 78 people had been killed since the start of the uprising and the unrest had cost 3 billion dinars ($2.69 billion) in damages and lost business.

AFS was constantly monitoring the situation and its international risk management team now recommended she left the country, AFS spokesman Tony Calvert said.

The decision was made yesterday because AFS could not guarantee the situation would settle over the next month or two, he said.

All international AFS students were being evacuated.

Louise will fly out of Tunisia on Saturday to Britain where she will stay with family for a couple of weeks while AFS try to arrange another exchange placement, Mr Calvert said.

Lousie had emailed AFS overnight with mixed emotions about leaving Tunisia.

"She's feeling a little bit of relief, but she said she's sad as well."

Louise chose to go to Tunisia for her year-long exchange, of which she has completed about three months.

Hundreds of protesters demonstrated in the Tunisian capital today (NZT) to demand the dismissal from the new coalition government of ministers associated with ousted president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali following the unveiling of a transitional unity government on Monday.

New Zealanders Craig Campbell, 31, from Invercargill, and his fiancee Robyn Davey, 29, of Te Aroha, who are teaching in the Tunisian capital, said they believed the conflict showed the country was in a state of change, not meltdown.

They ducked for cover as violence in their street ended in a hail of bullets on Sunday, the Southland Times reported. The pair have another 18 months to run on their teaching contracts.

- NZPA