Children

No one would venture to say that there is ever a good place to be a refugee, however conditions do vary greatly, and in many country’s life as a refugee gives one little hope for the future.

According to a recent survey, The Worst Places for Refugees, conducted by the advocacy group US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI)

Those countries listed as worst refugee abusers included are; China, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Iraq, Kenya, Russia, Sudan and the continent of Europe where ranked as the 10 worst places for refugees.  All of those among the top-10 are seen as the worst violators of refugees’ rights, as the USCRI list was compiled basing the rankings on the levels of refugee rejections, persecution and deaths, or letting them enter into a country and subjecting them to deprivation and keeping them in an indefinate limbo.

Of the situation USCRI president Lavinia Limon said:

“We’ve tried to call attention to these countries because they have been particularly egregious in their treatment of refugees. Some of them have forced refugees back into dangerous situations, some of them have warehoused refugees in camps for decades, and some of them have done their best to make sure refugees never enter their territory. Some of them have done all of the above.”

Currently there are more than 60 countries which have substantial refugee populations, Pakistan has the worlds largest refugee population. 

In London, on June 17th, thousands gathered in Trafalgar Square, including schoolchildren, to taste what life in Sudan’s troubled Darfur region was like. The event followed UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres early kick off to World Refugee Day celebrations. Following a tour of the mock refugee camp, Guterres announced the results of the annual Global Trends report, which showed that the number of refugees under UNHCR’s responsibility had risen in 2007 for the second year in a row to 11.4 million, while the overall number of people of concern to the agency stood at 31.7 million. He said the rise in refugee numbers was of great concern (UNHCR).

World Refugee Day was officially held worldwide today, June 2oth, this years theme is Protection. Millions of refugees around the world live with out the fundamental right to the protection from violence and persecution. World Refugee Day looks to bring attention to those who have been forced from their homes to seek protection, and bring attention to their plight to receive even the most basic necessities such as; shelter, water, food and basic healthcare.

Most refugees are women, children and elderly, and over half of all refugees are children. The millions of child refugees, face the daily turmoils so few of us can imagine, as the violence and struggles that led children into a life as a refugee are only the beginning of their hardship. The rights and special protection needs of refugee children are frequently neglected, and children often face additional abuses in the camps. Life of a refugee is never easy, but it is woman and children who suffer the disparaging effects of displacement around the world. A window into this world can be see in Oxfam’s Alun McDonald’s interview; A day in the life of a 12-year-old in a Darfur camp.

How can you help? Join the efforts to help refugee children by supporting NineMillion, a campaign created in 2006 by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in partnership with Nike and Microsoft. The goal of the campaign is to give more than nine million children better access to education, sport and technology by 2010.

For more information on Refugee situations see the following links and current news articles:

In Burma (Myanmar) cyclone Nargis’s death toll has reached some 134,000 people dead or missing, one third of which may be children according to UNICEF. Thousands more young children are expected to die within two to three weeks from hunger if doesn’t reach them soon according to Save the Children. According to Save the Children, an estimated 30,000 children under the age of five in the cyclone-affected Irrawaddy Delta were already acutely malnourished before the cyclone hit on May 2, and thus would already be suffering from aggravated conditions of malnutrition. Undocumented numbers of children have also been left orphans by the cyclones destruction, more than 600 are estimated thus far, leaving the military junta to work with UNICEF and the Red Cross to set up orphanages for cyclone orphans(AP).

The World Bank is working to coordinate international aid for cyclone-hit country from The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and is ready to deploy teams to do damage assessments, Sarah Cliffe, Director of World Bank Operations for East Asia and the Pacific, said on May 20. The goal is to get humanitarian aid to victims, however the military government in Myanmar has said it won’t allow Western aid unfettered access to disaster areas.

The stonewalling of the government has left the European Parliament is threatening to bring the military regime before the International Court of Justice in The Hague. It will vote on May 22 on whether to charge the government with crimes against humanity, Radio Netherlands reported. Thus far only small portion of aid has been able to get through to the 2.5 million people affected by the cyclone. On May 23rd in a deal negotiated by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and junta supremo Than Shwe, it was agreed to let in “all” aid workers regardless of their nationality (Reuters). However within days aid efforts were already appearing to be stonewalled, nonetheless some aid efforts have been able to seep in and thus many are hopeful that the block on aid will quickly dissolve (Reuters).

One can only hope that the aid will not be too late for the thousands of Burmese children who have been left in extreme cases of hunger and nourishment as a result of both the cyclone and the bureaucracy that followed.

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) at the Jamhuri grounds, Nairobi, Kenya. January 2008 © Julius Mwelu/IRIN

The battle for a peaceful Kenya is far from over as a semblance of everyday life remains a distant dream for most Kenyans. While this month saw the signing of a power-sharing deal, the fight for peace and stability in the country is no where near complete. The “Real work” begins after political deal, while the power-sharing agreement between Kenya’s two main political parties may be set, humanitarians working in the country state that the real work hasn’t even started yet, as reconciliation and resettlement is the true priority and test of peace. “We still have 200 camps [for the displaced],” Bob McCarthy, regional emergency coordinator for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said. “People are being assisted to meet their immediate, short-term needs. The challenge now is to establish whether conditions are conducive for IDPs to return to their homes…”.

It is the IDP children falling through protection cracks amid the ciaos and displacement. Children in the camps lack access to proper education, healthcare, and lack the basic necessities of childhood including play. With some 150,000 displaced children in dire need of support and care to cope with the mental trauma they have endured. Many children who have; witnessed the unspeakable, are now parentless, separated from their families. Healing the children is the biggest challenge of Kenya in the wake of the post-election violence.

“The future of Kenya is very dark because the children are bringing up, the things they saw, we don’t know how those things are going to [affect] their lives,” said James Riako, a counselor with the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS), working in a transit camp for displaced people in the grounds of St Stephen’s Cathedral in Kisumu, the capital of Nyanza Province in western Kenya.

While it appears the countries focus is shifting to recovery, resettlement of IDPs, and while many IDPs are ‘voluntarily’ able to return home it seems unlikely that many will make quick returns as the infrastructure remains crippled and the feeling of security has not completely returned for most in the country. According to the UN’s guiding principles on internal displacement those displaced may go back to the homes from where they fled, be resettled in another part of the country or reintegrated into the area of displacement. This has sent many Kenyans searching for their ‘ancestor’s’ homes, others have sought to return home, but it has left many to remain in IDP camps as the fear of renewed clashes remain. According to the UN’s principles;

“Competent authorities have the primary duty and responsibility to establish conditions, as well as provide the means, which allow internally displaced persons to return voluntarily, in safety and with dignity, to their homes or places of habitual residence, or to resettle voluntarily in another part of the country. Such authorities shall endeavour to facilitate the reintegration of returned or resettled internally displaced persons.”

The words safety and dignity stand out the most, and one can imagine this is the battle that will be the hardest for most looking to return home.

Sadly violence in the country has not completely subsided with the signing of the power-sharing agreement, and peace still looms in the distance. This week has been met with more out brakes and tension is high as hundreds flee clash-torn Laikipia where it has left some 300 houses destroyed by fire, leaving some 3,000 people to flee and resulted in some 14 deaths in the last 3 weeks.

So can Kenya’s children be healed? The truth is something only time can tell, as the country continues to remain in shambles despite the loosely painted image of peace. The children more than anyone need the return of normality, and for their sake one can only hope that it will come soon, and end their suffering. When peace finally covers Kenya the children will continue to be the ones in most need of rehabilitation and psychological care.

Last week, on February 12th, UNICEF issued a press release urging donors to give some $856 million to aid women and children and women who have been victimized by such emergencies as the conflicts in Chad and Kenya, to natural disasters such as the floods in Mozambique. Launching its Humanitarian Action Report 2008, UNICEF stated that the funds are to be used to provide urgent assistance in the areas of health, education and nutrition.

There are a number of countries in urgent need of assistance including; Kenya where there are some 150,000 children, half of the estimated population that have been driven from their homes in the recent violence. In Chad there is an estimated 30,000 of those forced from their homes, some 52,000, who are vulnerable, many of which are children and in need of immediate assistance. Other countries with considerable needs are the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo), the CAR (Central African Republic), Pakistan and the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea.

However the greatest needs still remains in Sudan, where sexual and gender-based violence remains an immense concern as the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) continues to rise. There are some 2 million IDPs in Sudan, leaving camps stretched beyond capacity and aid agencies battling to meet the needs of those displaced as the conflict continues after nearly 5 years.

In reaction to the 230 page reports release, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, stated in a message to the Governing Council of the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Rome on February 13th that efforts must be greatly increased to tackle poverty, especially in the realm of agriculture.

“This must be the year the international community renews its commitment to the needs of the weak, the disadvantaged, those who have been excluded from the mainstream of global society.”

Repeating his request that 2008 be the year that the international community seriously and effectively seeks to address the plight of the “bottom billion”, the poorest of the world’s poor.

Afghanistan has fallen off the radar for many in the wake of the ongoing war in Iraq, however the struggle in Afghanistan is far from over. Rebuilding after a war, and years of repression, is never easy, especially for the children. The children of Afghanistan have been born into hardship, they dream of prosperity, and they continue to suffer needlessly as the remnants of war remain. The fight for adequate housing, healthcare and education are not the only struggle in post war Afghanistan, but children are also suffering from preventable diseases, landmines, and mother nature.

Too many young children dying of preventable diseases, as some 600 children under five die every day in Afghanistan due to pneumonia, poor nutrition, diarrhea and other preventable diseases, according to the State of the World’s Children 2008, which was released by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). While the country has made substancial improvements to the healthcare system, they have the 3rd highest infant mortality rate, and has the 2nd highest maternal mortality rate, in the world. While these figures are high, the child mortality rate in the country has dropped 25% since 2001, due to an increase to 80% of basic health services for citizens.

One of the most dangerous remnants of war that plague the children of Afghanistan are the landmines that are scattered across the country, hidden from plain site. Children are at high risk for landmine death or injury, and with injuries comes another battle in a country with an already weak healthcare infrastructure, as some 95% of landmine injuries result in disability. According to the UN Mine Action Centre for Afghanistan (UNMACA) landmines have killed 143 and wounded another 438 people in 2007 alone. The 2007 figures are down from 2006 when 124 where killed 124 and 697 wounded, however they remain too high and demining must be made a higher priority. The use of landmines by rebel factions is high due to their inexpensive nature as the report, Laying Landmines to Rest? Humanitarian Mine Action, shows that conventional anti-personnel landmines cost a mere $3 to $27 to produce, and according to the UK Mine Information and Training Centre (MITC), clearing these mines costs the international community $300-$1,000 per mine. Therefore

Sadly this winter has not been a friend to the the Afghans, as the cold-snap deaths top 300 (note, as of January 29th death toll rises over 500), as heavy snows have pounded much of the country over the last month. Most of the reported deaths have been children, and the death toll is expected to rise as the harsh weather continues. Most of those severely effected live in rural areas, with little to no access to healhcare, which is a major concern as children are more susceptible to cold related diseases such as pneumonia.

All of the factors heavily impact a child’s access to education, with attendence in schools remaining low, according to UNICEF attendence from 2000-2006 was estimated at 40% for females and 66% for males at the primary level and only 6% for females and 18% for males at the secondary level.

Therefore one can easily see that these are major concerns for the long term future of Afghan children and the sustainability of the country on the whole. Thus we must not leave the children of Afghanistan in the shadows of war, but increase our aid efforts and bring the continuing struggles of the innocent children to the forefront.

AFP

The number of internally displaced people in Iraq had increased some 50% from 2006 to 2007, however some claim the numbers may now be falling, but only slowly. There are still millions of Iraqi’s living away from home due to the threat of violence there, leaving some to flea their homes and head to other regions of the country, while others leave Iraq completely, leaving a total of approximately 4 million Iraqi refugees.

According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC) in September 2007 there where more than 2 million IDPs in Iraq; Northern Provinces 800,900, Central Provinces 740,500, Southern Provinces 714, 600, a total of 2,256,000.  Most of the displaced are woman and children, some estimates put children at more than 30%, children like the ones pictured above, who are playing near abandoned shops housing displaced families in Baghdad’s Kasrah and Atash district.  Displacement leaves children at risk for disease, with lack of adequate healthcare and nutrition, and places many children at risk for abuse.
Just last week the UN announced that it is seeking $261 million to help hundreds of thousands of displaced Iraqis, which will include both internally and externally displaced persons. For the children outside Iraq one of the biggest goals is education;

“Under the 2008 appeal, we have set a target of getting another 100,000 Iraqi refugee children into school, bringing the total to 200,000 by the end of this year,” Mr. Redmond said. “We will also continue direct assistance to vulnerable families, including a programme that provides cash cards for limited monthly withdrawals by female-headed households, widows and people with disabilities and chronic illnesses.”

For those children who are displaced with in Iraq getting aid proves to be much more difficult due to continuing insecurities in the country, however the UN has specific programs for IDPs.

“In 2008, we will focus on getting assistance to 400,000 of the most vulnerable of the estimated 2.2 million internally displaced people in Iraq.”

A internally displaced family, living in a camp in Suleimaniyah.

In addition to increased efforts by the UN, the

Arab League is to launch massive campaign for Iraqi refugees with UN help, the campaign is to focus mainly on fundraising and public awareness.

“The Iraqi people have suffered extreme hardship. Women, children, entire families have witnessed terrible violence and despair,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres says in a video message to be used in the campaign. “I appeal to you to support your Iraqi brothers and sisters…. Your voice and helping hand can make a profound difference.”

For now it looks like the children of Iraq will continue to suffer with the ensuing violence, and displacement remains one of the largest tragedies of war. For most children the hope of returning home is a distant dream.

Further Information:
Conditions deteriorating for tens of thousands of Iraqi children, UN reports
UNHRC: Statistics on Iraqi’s Around the World, September 2007
Iraqi Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
Map of IDP movement in Iraq
Displacement Due to Recent Violence , April 2006 IOM Iraq IDP
The IDP Crisis in Iraq: National Security Network
Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Tent Camp Assessment Report - October 2007
Iraq: Plight Of Displaced Worsens

I recently came across this photo, which was taken at a Refugee camp in Baghdad on November 16 2004. While I am very used to seeing images of children who are victims of violence, this image struck me harder than many of the bloody photos of war I have seen. The reason it took me back a bit more wasn’t so much the fact that the children where playing, but while both boys have guns in their hands, their expressions and body languages each tells a different story. The true fear in the younger boys face makes your heart sink into your stomach. While the expression on the older boys face is more like one of elation and joy over the mere fact that he could kill the other boy if he really wanted to, and sends a shiver down your spine.

Children look to us, the adults, the leaders, for examples and for the children of war torn countries the examples that we give them are nothing but violence and death. Therefore children of war and violence are more likely to grow into violent adults, if they make it that far, than those who live in peace. However all of our children are affected, as the images of war and violence invade all of our lives on a daily basis. Many children know nothing except war, poverty and displacement. These children will spend their entire childhoods, surrounded by violence and these are the examples of adulthood that will be forever etched into their impressionable minds.

One wonders when looking back at the photograph what the fate of these two boys is, what they have become in the last three years. Are they still alive? Have they walked separate paths, did the younger one choose peace and the older one choose violence as his road to adulthood? Will they ever live a happy normal life?
The saddest part about this image is that all too often the guns in the children’s hands are not that of toys.

The crisis in Darfur has been waging on for five years, and one would think that peace and stability would now be on the horizon, however the the situation appears to be getting worse.  As we enter this new year, hope has begun to fade for many, especially the children. Despite efforts to send AID into the region, which has been repeatedly torn apart over the years by genocidal violence, however the level of child malnutrition in the region has increased over the past year.

According to a UN report issued at the close of 2007, the rate of child malnutrition in the region was considerably higher, even with an increased presence of aid workers in the past year. The current aid operation in Darfur is currently the worlds largest, comprised of 13 United Nations agencies and around 80 private aid agencies. The cost of aid in Darfur in 2007 was some one billion US dollars, yet the effects of the relief effort appear to be falling short for Darfur’s children who once again are left to suffer and subcome to the elements derived from the continued violence.

The UN’s report showed 16.1% of children affected by the conflict suffer from acute malnutrition, in comparison to 12.9% a year earlier. This is the first time malnutrition rates have soured above the World Health Organization’s malnutrition “emergency threshold”, which is set at 15%, since 2004, a year following the beginning of the conflict, when it ran at 21.8%. (Child Malnutrition on Rise in Darfur).

“There is a psychological effect here,” said one aid official in Sudan who did not want to be identified because he feared reprisals from the Sudanese government. “These people have been in these camps for years now, and the energy that was around a few years ago and the hopes that this situation might be over soon and people could go home — all that’s gone now. He said that depression could affect how mothers care for their children, and that the overall malaise in the camps would make poor health conditions worse.” (Malnutrition Up in Darfur Despite Aid).

A lack of security, new tribal violence, constant displacement, fear, and attacks on aid workers are just to name a few factors which are adding to the increase in child malnutrition. While there are many reasons that may be hindering the effectiveness of aid, and compounding the situation for children and adults alike.  Nonetheless the fact remains that the people of Darfur can not continue to slip further and further away for our eyes, and therefore increased security and new planning must be made to ensure that people receive their basic human rights. However all of this will continue to fail if the International community does not take stronger action against the government of Sudan and work to find a sustainable solution to bring peace to Darfur, and the entire country of Sudan.

Some 1,000 African asylum-seekers detained in “harsh conditions”, including over 200 women and children, are being detained at Israel’s Ktsiyot prison according to activists. Children are receiving little to no education, lack of heat and adequate facilities are beginning to take a toll on the children. “The women and children are still being held separately from their husbands, despite the prison authority’s claim that moving the asylum-seekers to the tent camp was intended to allow for family reunification. There are no social workers to supervise or assist the children, many of whom have undergone severe trauma”.

Distributing insecticide-treated mosquito nets is the single most effective weapon the world has against malaria in Africa,, however, it’s not clear whether making nets widely available is best accomplished through the private or the public sector. See more at Analysis: How to best tackle malaria

One Laptop Per Child project loses Intel as partner, as the they has withdrawn from the international project, claiming “philosophical” differences as a reason for pulling out.

Grandmothers of AIDS orphans find support in South Africa, which is extremely needed as more and more grandmothers find themselves as the sole care taker of the some 11 million children who have been orphaned in the last decade. The support is thanks to a Johannesburg group run by Ingrid Moloi, an HIV-positive activist who realized that not only patients but also caretakers need help to deal with the aftermath of the virus.