Italy migrants' state 'appalling'

Many migrants arriving on the isle of Lampedusa need medical help

The working conditions of many poor African migrants in rural areas of southern Italy are "appalling", the international medical charity MSF says.

The charity, which calls the workforce an invisible and vulnerable army, says migrants live in dilapidated buildings, with no electricity or running water.

Thousands of Africans, many of them without papers, seek jobs as fruit pickers in the Calabria region.

MSF says they are paid about 20 euros (£19; $29) for 12 hours' work daily.

"They live in disused houses, hangars or abandoned factories, with no running water, electricity or heat, often surrounded by rubbish that attracts rats and packs of stray dogs," said Antonio Virgilio, MSF's head of mission in Calabria.

MSF (Medecins Sans Frontieres) calls the lack of basic hygienic facilities "appalling". It has distributed sleeping bags and hygiene kits to migrant workers in Calabria.

Mr Virgilio said the Calabrian authorities were failing to respect the United Nations minimum standard of one toilet per 20 people for the migrant workers.

MSF said respiratory diseases could easily spread among the Africans, as they were living in overcrowded, unheated buildings.

The aid group urged the Calabrian authorities to provide toilets, showers and drinking water for the migrants.