TresSugar

Pakistani Girl Plays With Her Father at Camp She Calls Home

TresSugar — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:00:00 -0700

A father plays with his daughter in a canal at a United Nations camp for internally displaced people in Pakistan's Swabi district, revealing a moment of innocence in an environment of violence. The Pakistan government has been urging internally displaced people to return to their homes, but this plan has been stalled after a bomb exploded in the region today, putting into question the security of the previously cleared area.

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Mass Exodus in the Congo Has Roots In Rwandan Genocide

CitizenSugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 03:00:10 -0700

I know the math on the picture=1,000 words shtick, but these words on the refugee exodus in the Democratic Republic of Congo combined with these pictures is almost a novel I can't even fathom:

Along the red dirt roads looping in and out of the jungle, they trooped in their thousands. The women clutching infants to their chests and balancing rolled-up mattresses, blankets and pots on their heads. Any child old enough to walk carried a jerry can of water or dragged a sack of food.

The people who live in the Democratic Republic of Congo are once again under fire. Many who live in the perpetually war-torn nation have been driven from their homes more times than they can remember and sadly they're finding it's time to escape once more. Packing up any possessions they can manage they're fleeing in advance of the invading Tutsi rebels. The rebels are driving both the government forces, which outnumber them by more than 3 to 1 and the UN peacekeepers that are being met with anger and violence at their inadequate response.

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To see the historic context, read more.

Nearly 30,000 refugees are fleeing into cities and towns bursting their resources. And as the fighting continues so does the human misery. "These people are in a very precarious situation," said Ms van Goor of MSF (Doctors Without Borders). "We're in the middle of the rainy season now and without proper water and sanitation, they're vulnerable to all sorts of diseases."

The conflict is in response to fear of a further genocide by the Hutus who were responsible for the murder of hundreds and thousands of Tutsis in 1994 in neighboring Rwanda. The Tutsi rebels claim that the Congolese government is not doing nearly enough to ensure their safety and are now taking matters into their own hands.

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Almost 200,000 Flee Violence in Pakistan

LibertySugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:30:00 -0700

Following an offensive by Pakistani forces against militants, as many as 190,000 Pakistanis and Afghans have fled their homes, according to reports given to the UN High Commission Refugees. Most refugees, running from the clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, are staying with host families in either country.

In the Bajaur region of Pakistan, government jets hit insurgent trenches, killing five, today. Another attack left 12 extremists dead, along with two progovernment tribesmen. Since the offensive began,1,000 rebel fighters and Taliban militants have been killed, according to Pakistan.

Today's strikes came the same day religious scholars and political parties announced that suicide bombs violate Islam and are illegitimate in Pakistan. Looks like the Pakistani government is going on the military and moral offensive to stop extremists. Hopefully the refugees make it home safely.

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Srouce

82 Percent of Displaced Iraqis Are Women and Kids, Like These

CitizenSugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 03:00:07 -0700

I brake for pictures of children in the throes of chaos created by adults. It's a heartbreaking perspective to the headlines so often consumed by verbs: bombings, attacks, sanctions - it's the ongoing situations, those interminable realities that get forgotten. Like these children in Iraq. They're part of a growing number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) who've been driven from their homes. These children are part of Shia families displaced due to Shia-Sunni warring sparked in 2006 when a famous Shia shrine was bombed north of Baghdad.

Though wars are most often fought in the headlines through the eyes of the warriors, like the news 650 cadets have graduated from Iraq's military academies, the seeming progress of that headline is lost when you consider that 82 percent of the displaced are women and children. I don't often wax emotional, but the idea of growing up like this, surrounded by chaos and devastation and powerless to change it - it's the definition of tragedy.

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To see how many are affected, and how you can help, read more.

According to the head of Diyala provincial council about 25,000 families like those pictured, some 150,000 individuals have been displaced in Diyala since the US-led invasion in 2003, but only about 600 families have returned. And the number of families just like these are growing: the number of IDPs in Iraq has increased by 3,234 people by the end of May, bringing the total number to 2,169,920, more people than live in the entire state of New Mexico.

According to UNICEF, globally there are 25 million people just like these kids - and the organization can use your help. They do everything from set up schools to give the kids a sense of normalcy to making sure they have water. I don't know of a better motivation to help than these kids' faces.

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Front Page: South Africa Sets Up Camps, Olmert Called to Step Down, Nepal To Become Republic

CitizenSugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 07:00:06 -0700

South Africa Sets Up Camps: South Africa is about to create seven refugee camps around the country for foreign migrant workers who have fled a recent wave of anti-immigrant violence. Taking the pressure off of the increasingly unsanitary conditions currently housing the workers at temporary shelters put up around state buildings, the new camps will take up to 70,000 people. Respected international aid agencies have advised the government not to set up camps as they say South Africa does not have the expertise necessary to run them. Fifty-six people have been killed and more than 650 injured in the attacks.

Olmert Called to Step Down: Israel’s defense minister Ehud Barak called today for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to step down pending the outcome of a high-profile corruption investigation in which Olmert is tied. Barak said, “The prime minister must disconnect himself from the daily running of the government.” Yesterday a Long Island businessman at the center of the corruption case testified that he gave about envelopes of cash totaling about $150,000, to Olmert over the course of 13 years. He said the money was for campaign funding and personal expenses. Olmert has denied any wrongdoing and has promised to step down if found guilty.
Nepal To Become Republic: The newly-elected Nepalese assembly is to meet in Kathmandu to abolish the monarchy but its key vote has been postponed by a boming in the capital that injured two people while the new cabinet was being sworn in. Thousands of people have gathered on the streets near the assembly in support of "republic day". Ending 240 years of royal rule, supporters are ecstatic. One said, "This is the people's victory. With today's declaration of a republic we have achieved what we fought for."

Group of Clowns Among Iraqi Refugees Fleeing Violence

LibertySugar — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 12:00:33 -0800

The Happy Family Clown Group recently fled Iraq after two of its members were senselessly murdered. Unsure of why they were targeted, the three remaining clowns sought exile in Syria, a country that receives 1,000 Iraqis refugees each day.

The Iraqi clowns registered with the United Nation's refugee agency (UNHCR). They now are making the most of their exile, working with the UNHCR and performing their show "A Child Is as Scared as a Country" for refugee children.

The UN estimates that 4.2 million Iraqis have left their homes. Approximately 1 million live a difficult life in Syria, where they cannot work legally. Many would love to return to Iraq, but like the Happy Family Clown Group, they fear for their safety and their lives. For some comprehensive information on the refugee situation in Iraq, check out the UNHCR's Iraq refugee site. You know the violence is bad when clowns are the targets.

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Google Earth to Show Refugee Camps - Great Idea or Too Far?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:45:25 -0700

The ever-addicting Google Earth feature (who hasn't looked up every house they've ever lived in?) has a brand new feature with a humanitarian twist.

The feature is set to show the movement of refugees around the world using satellite images of refugee hot spots such as Darfur, Iraq, and Colombia. The maps are designed to help humanitarian operations as well as to inform the public about the millions who have fled their homes because of political violence. Google Earth's successful use after Hurricane Katrina, sparking the expansion idea.

The UN Deputy High Commissioner For Refugees said at the launch of the project, “all of the things that we do for refugees in the refugee camps around the world will become more visible.”

For example, Google Earth users will be able to see into the Djabal refugee camp in eastern Chad, home to refugees from the conflict in Darfur, and see tents clustered together amid the sparse landscape. Adding a servicey aspect, with another click, users can learn about the difficulty of providing water to some of the 15,000 people.

Google Earth faced controversy earlier this year when the US Defense Department cracked down banning views of military bases. By extension, if people wanting to help refugees can see the camps, could those wishing to harm them use the info, too? What about issues of privacy? Have we given enough thought to the bigger questions of this powerful technology?

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Displaced: Pakistani Girls Await Their Meals in Refugee Camp

TresSugar — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:00:00 -0700

Pakistani girls watch through a hole in the kitchen tent to see when the food will be ready at the Jalozai refugee camp outside Peshawar, Pakistan. According to the UN, approximately three million people have been displaced inside Pakistan as a result of ongoing fighting and military operations against the Taliban.

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Women Around the World Persecuted For Being "Witches"

TresSugar — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:00:00 -0700

It's hard to believe that in this day and age, countless women around the world are being accused of something that sounds pretty medieval. According to the UN, women accused of being witches are persecuted and sometimes murdered around the world. Even children thought to be witches are being targeted, too. The UN estimates that this violence is impacting the lives of millions of people.

So where is this unbelievable violence taking place? It's happening in places from South Africa, to India, Nepal, and Papua New Guinea. In Nigeria, homeless children are driven out of towns because they are suspected of witchcraft. While different cultures hold diverse beliefs about witchcraft, UN experts believe that those suspected of having "supernatural" powers are typically targeted when a society faces rapid cultural or social change. In these cases, the vulnerable get the blame for the community's misfortunes.

Violence associated with witchcraft caught the attention of the UN because it's causing an international refugee problem. In addition to being victims of violence, the accused are often forcibly displaced or trafficked. Let's hope now that the widespread witch-hunting has gained international attention, something will be done to help these people.

Angelina Jolie Urges the UN to Act on Darfur

TresSugar — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Darfur has almost disappeared from the news, and experts now call it a "low intensity" conflict. But the intensity of the crisis has not lessened for those who are struggling to survive. . . . Thirty percent of those displaced are school-age children. Girls leaving the [refugee] camps are raped; boys leaving the camps are killed. They want an education; they want to go back to their villages, to their land; they want peace. But they also want justice.

In an op-ed on Time.com today, Angelina Jolie attempts to lend some publicity to the crisis in Darfur. Today, the United Nations Security Council will look into the case against Sudanese President Omar al Bashir, who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. Bashir has been accused of taking out his inability to defeat rebels on the civilian population by subjecting it to rape, hunger, and fear. Angelina hopes the UN will act on this indictment and end the suffering in Darfur.

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