The European Union will earmark 30 million euros in aid to cope with the refugee crisis in revolt-hit Libya, EU commissioner for international cooperation announced.

Kristalina Georgieva made the announcement as she and Hungarian Minister of State for EU affairs Eniko Gyori toured the Tunisian-Libyan border area.

Georgieva said the increased EU aid would be provided "to cater for the humanitarian needs, up from the 10 million euros that was allocated earlier this week."

She noted that this was the third allocation by the European Commission for the Libyan crisis in less than a week.

With thousands fleeing a violent crackdown by leader Muammar Gaddafi on an anti-regime uprising that began on February 15, evacuations began today of vast crowds stranded at the Tunisian-Libyan border, correspondents said.

Some 90,000 people have crossed into Tunisia from Libya since February 20, a UN official said in Tunis.

"7,561 people from 21 countries crossed at the Ras Jedir border post just on March 2 between midnight and 7 pm, including 5,390 Bangladeshis, 596 Libyans, 539 Egyptians, 420 Vietnamese -- in total citizens nationals from 21 countries," said Amor Nekhili.

About 20,000 refugees were at Tunisia's main border at Ras Jedir and nearby Choucha by late yesterday, said Colonel Malik Mihoub, from Tunisian civil security. Thousands more were expected to arrive in the coming days.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said it would put on nine flights today with the help of the British government and United Nations and they would carrying nearly 1,700 people from Djerba to Cairo.