Giado concentration camp was mentioned here in my article about the Afrika Korps. However, this article will be specifically about the camp, and the role which both the Germans and Italians played in it.
In late 1941 and early 1942, Allied forces had successfully pushed the Axis forces in Libya out of Cyrenaica in what is known as Operation Crusader. However, this would not last for long, as on January 21, 1942, Rommel would launch a counter-offensive, retaking Cyrenaica.
The Jews of Cyrenaica preferred to be under Allied occupation, mainly due to the Axis racial laws and killing of civilians. As such, some Jews decided to join the British Army.
Because of this, on February 7, 1942, Mussolini ordered for the Jewish population of Cyrenaica to be deported into concentration camps in Tripolitania and other locations.
The most famous camp was Giado, located south of Tripoli.
Throughout 1942, German and Italian authorities would deport 2,600 Jews to Giado. In total, (including the Giado numbers), 3,000 Jews would be deported to Tripolitania.
Food rations were poor. The book The Holocaust and North Africa writes:
"The living conditions in Giado were extremely bad, because there was neither adequate room for the internees nor sufficient food."
There were 10 buildings in the camp, with 400 people living in each building, meaning that conditions were extremely cramped in Giado. Except for a bed, there was no furniture at any of the barracks in the camp, and there were not even enough for all the prisoners. Hygiene and health was incredibly bad at Giado, and in December 1942, a typhus epidemic broke out in the camp. A considerable amount of prisoners would die due to this epidemic.
Men at the camp had to work for 12 hour shifts. Work at the camp included hoeing and transporting dirt. A survivor of Giado named Ofek states:
"After an exhausting day's work, we did work for the Arab villagers, such as sewing clothes."
Giado was run by Ettore Bastico, Governor-General of Italian Libya, and other officers aswell. The camp was guarded by both Italian and Arab guards. The guards of the camp regularly harassed the prisoners. Punishments at the camp included whipping and beating of Jews, and forcing them into dungeons.
In 1943, Giado was liberated by the British. The guards of the camp had fled a few weeks before in fear of a mass escape by prisoners. 562 Jews died at Giado due to poor conditions.
SOURCES:
http://archive.diarna.org/site/detail/public/1061/
http://www.musiques-regenerees.fr/GhettosCamps/Camps/Italie/Giado_LibyanJewishExperience.html
https://campifascisti.it/scheda_campo.php?id_campo=264
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