Children

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.

Three years ago today as many of us sat with family and friends, enjoying the end of the Christmas holiday, an unpredicted tsunami struck South Asia, leaving nothing but destruction and death in it’s wake. In remembrance to the estimated 230,000 people from 13 countries, who lost their lives on that unforgettable day, many memorial and remembrance ceremonies where held across the globe today.

Sadly the effects of that devastating day linger on, many children and their families are still unable to escape the detrimental after effects of the disaster. While some $13.6 billion has been estimated donated thus far, many local communities have seen little assistance in getting their lives and homes back to normal, and children are most often the hardest hit.

In the wake of the tsunami many children where left orphans, placing them at risk for trafficking networks, which prey on vulnerable children, who sell children forced labor or sexual slavery. Aid agencies and governments have took numerous steps to see that children where protected, and many safeguard systems where put into place. Education was also a source for concern, as the rebuilding of schools has been slow, but education remains a priority and schools continue to provide stability and hope for the future.

While considerable progress has been made in areas such as health, nutrition, education, and protection, children in the tsunami effected regions continue to remain at risk, as the rebuilding and recovery continues. The three year aniversiry of the tsunami serves not only as a reminder to remember those whom lost their lives, but those who survived and continue to need the international communities help to recover and develop sustainable programs to ensure their futures are never again uprooted in such a devastating way.

Related News Articles and Links:
Three Year UNICEF Tsunami Anniversary Monitoring Report
Commemorations held in Thailand for 3rd anniversary of tsunami
People mark the three-year anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami at a memorial in Khao
Mourners Mark Three Year Anniversary Of Worst Known Tsunami In History
BBC
The Christian Science Monitor
Tsunami Children Lost, Vulnerable
In Pictures: Children’s tsunami art
Tsunami Children Foundation
Tsunami Children - CNN Photo’s
Children of Tsunami
UNICEF Newsline on the Tsunami

The UN has launched a US$3.8-billion appeal to provide emergency aid to 25 million people next year as they struggle to survive conflict, climate-related disasters and other humanitarian crises. “We live in a world of unprecedented prosperity. But despite this, millions of people continue to endure crises where the essentials of existence - clean water, life-saving drugs, and emergency shelter among others - are denied them and where insecurity is a part of everyday life,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated in a forward to the 2008 Humanitarian Appeal, launched at the UN’s European headquarters in Geneva on 10 December.

SOMALIA: Aid appeal broadened to cope with massive displacement - The conflict in Somalia has only continued this year, as a result leaving massive displacement, with an estimated 600,000 fleeing Mogadishu, many of which risk death to reach Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Children are facing extreme suffering after years of suffering. “An estimated 83,000 children [excluding those in displaced families] are moderately or severely malnourished in south/central Somalia. These children are at increased risk of death in a country where, already, one in 12 children will die before his or her first birthday and one in seven will die before reaching the age of five,” humanitarian agencies said.

Myanmar deaths higher than U.N. estimate: The death toll following the uprising in Burma has left the a question of the true number lives lost. Posing as tourist a group of Buddhists entered the country in the wake of the September monk-led uprising to research and document the reality of the causalities. Their numbers, at at least 70, appear more than double of the UN’s estimated death toll of 31.

In the past weeks eyes and ears in Sudan, haven’t been on Darfur, but on a British Teacher who was imprisoned over a blasphemous teddy bear. The bear was part of a primary class project and the out lash arose over the children choice of a name, Mohammad. The act by the teacher was seen as a direct insult to Muslims everywhere, despite many who believed it was a silly or innocent mistake. Crowds in Khartoum called for Gillian Gibbons execution, as uproar over the toy’s insult to Islam ensued. Thankfully for Gibbons, she was pardoned by President Bashir and released on December 6th, while many Muslims and non-Muslims alike waited in anticipation for her save return to the UK. “I have great respect for the Islamic religion and would not knowingly offend anyone and I am sorry if I caused any distress. I am looking forward to seeing my family and friends but I am very sorry that I will be unable to return to Sudan and work in Unity High School as the teacher of 2X.”, stated Gibbons after her pardon (Teddy bear teacher leaves Sudan after pardon).

Anti-polio campaign targets four million children in Yemen, as a three-day national anti-polio campaign began on 15 December in to ensure the complete eradication of the disease. Spearheaded by Yemen’s Ministry of Health - with support from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and USAID - the immunization drive is targeting just over four million children aged five and under.

In Pakistan the eradication of Polio has been a high priority throughout the year, and now the government’s in a further drive to eradicate polio. From December 11th-13th, approximately 14 million children under the age of five, where immunized in 44 high-risk districts, including Swat, where anti-immunization efforts have been met with opposition. The vaccination drive was the joint effort of of the government of Pakistan, WHO and UNICEF.

In South Africa the rules are simple no registration, no benefits and this includes benefits such as child support. UNICEF estimates that only half of the countries children’s births have been registered, which will prohibit many from receiving benefits as a birth certificate is required to obtain an identity document. However a new outreach program is underway, using schools to reach tens of thousands of rural South Africans get grants and benefit services.

According to a new report, The Yemen Poverty Assessment, which was released on 3 December, poverty is severely effecting the children of Yemen. The report which was jointly prepared by the government of Yemen, the World Bank, and UN Development Program (UNDP), reveled that some 30 percent of children aged 2-5 severely stunted. “According to the UN World Food Program (WFP), child malnutrition rates in Yemen are amongst the highest in the world, with infant and under-five mortality rates estimated at 76 and 102 per 1,000 live births, respectively.”

UN launches regional human rights office, The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) signed an agreement with the Senegalese government on 3 December to set up a regional office in the capital, Dakar. The office which will be the UN’s fourth African regional office in Africa is expected to open in early 2008, and on top of the agenda are issues of human trafficking and violence against women and girls.

Despite years of improvement since the drought of 2005 in Malawi malnutrition is still a threat to the countries children. Inadequate healthcare and food security are largely to blame, as some 39,000 are still being treated for malnutrition and related illnesses. “The scale of the malnutrition problem in Malawi is clearly very large and, given its consequences for economic development and child survival, calls for immediate and large-scale action,” said Aida Girma, UNICEF Resident Representative.

“Where there is no hope, one must invent hope.” - Albert Camus

Recently I have written a few posts on the situation in Sudan, and I was fortunate enough to attend the prescreening last night of Sand and Sorrow, which premiers on HBO on December 6th at 8pn ET. The event was held Monday, December 3, at the National Cable & Telecommunications Association Theater, in Washington, DC. HBO, in conjunction with Enough and Campus Progress, which is the student arm of the Center for American Progress.

Bodies scattered across the barren land, their outline remains long after they are gone. Blood red sand stained from the bodies who spilled their blood fighting for their land, homes, and futures. Scorched bodies lie like an invisible mass of death, a plague haunting only those who have been forced to bare witness. A plague with no cure in sight!

Images seared on your brain, in your mind, in your heart…They cannot escape your soul, forever etched in your memory, and this is exactly what the films producers want you to walk away with. The film does not gloss over the horrors that plague Sudan, but shows graphic images of the bodies of those who have been burned alive, the faces of those who still cling to life, and burned out villages among the arid land. The film tells the real stories of tragedy from those who have lived to bare witness to the acts of genocide and systematic rapes. For too long the cries of Sudan have fallen on deaf ears, and thus “Sand and Sorrow” “examines the international community’s ‘legacy of failure’ to respond to such profound crimes against humanity in the past.” “Never Again!”, are the words we have failed to live by time and time again. The films Director, Paul Freedman, said in response to our failures to act, even as the ten year anniversary of Rwanda unfolded, and our continuous failure to end the genocide in Sudan;

“We will do it slowly and we will call it Darfur.
Everybody knows, yet we don’t do anything….
we stand idly by and do nothing!”

Narrated by George Clooney, the film relies heavily on the powerful interviews of Samantha Power, John Pendergast and Nick Kristof. However in its brief 93 minutes the producers take you into an American High School, and Capital Hill, to give you some incite into the concern and frustration back home. In the film also follows a contingent of African Union peacekeeping forces in Darfur, which included Sabina Blay, an police woman from Ghana. Blay, organized a forum for rape victims at an IDP camp in Chad, seeing that many sought treatment for the sexual assaults that had been inflicted upon them. “What those children saw is something that human beings should never see”, Blay said with sadness in her eyes.

Burned bodies, utter carnage, terror and despair…that is the description of Darfur…the lives of millions of displaced children, many now without fathers, others the reminders of their mother violent attackers. But their suffering is far from over as those called to protect them are rendered helpless, only able to watch, video and document the horrors that continue to unfold before their very eyes. The innocent civilians of Darfur are far from safe, as under their watchful eyes the camps burn, and innocence continues to die.

Who will end the terror and sorrow in the sand? The US has condemned the acts in Sudan as genocide, yet still we sit sill, and no policies have yet been made. As South African President Mbeki said, “The solution doesn’t lie in making radical statements.” We can not condemn the crisis and then sit back and hope it will fix itself, for five years later we are only facing a new enemy of disease and hunger. Death and violence is common in every day life in Sudan, as IDP’s spend endless days in unknowing anguish, in fear and in hope, and day after day they wait alone and in silence.

“Human lives are heavy or light depending on where they are!” -John Pendergast

Following the film there was a Q&A discussion featuring John Prendergast, co-chair of the ENOUGH Project, and Director Paul Freedman, who also produced and directed “Rwanda—Do Scars Ever Fade?”. The discussion was moderated by Erica Williams the Issue Campaigns Manager at Campus Progress.

What do we do, well John Pendergast made a great statement which says it simply;

“There has to be a cost for committing Genocide…they want to be accepted internationaly . These guys change their behavior if pressured hard enough, lets pressure them!”

Campus Progress and Enough are encouraging people to have a Party with a Purpose . Gather your friends, family, students and classmates, then register your party and get discussion materials. Following the film you will have the opportunity to participate in ‘Join a Call’ with John Prendergast, Samantha Power and Nick Kristof after the film.

Related Articles and Links:
HBO buys Darfur docu ‘Sand and Sorrow’
Save Darfur
Smallest Witnesses

The Robert F. Kennedy Memorial 2007 Human Rights Award laureate was presented this morning to Dr. Mohammed Ahmed Abdallah, of Sudan. The event was opened by Kerry Kennedy, founder The Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights.

“…champions of justice are imbued with moral courage. The cause is compelling, the enemies dangerous and powerful. But we are blessed by a handful of Davids, who, with little more than the slingshots of their hearts and nerve and sinew to support them, stand up against a world full of Goliaths. And the angels prevail.”

Dr. Mohammed Ahmed was among hundreds of human rights advocates nominated from across the globe, and he was chosen for his unwaivering dedication to help those in Darfur who need him the most. Dr. Ahmed’s helps those in his country that so many others have turned a blind eye to, the victims so many have been too cowardly to stand and fight for. He protects and heals those survivors of rape, torture, and violence in Darfur, who’s lives have been ripped apart by genocide. By working to see that their lives are restored, that they know the whole world didn’t turn it’s back on them, Dr. Ahmed, not only tirelessly administers medical assistance, he also prescribes hope to a nation.

Ms. Kennedy took a moment to avert the crowds attention to another RFK Human Rights laureate, who also stood fearlessly for the people of his own country. The room stood in applause as Ren Wanding, the 1994 award winner was introduced as a member of the audience. Ding was imprisoned in China for promoting a democratic government and the release of political prisoners, he was unable to accept the RFK award when it was presented to him.

Senator Edward M. Kennedy, then took the stand to introduce this years laureate, speaking on how we must demand as an international community, that attacks on IDP camps and the people of Darfur end now, and that all parties held accountable for their safety and security. Senator Kennedy added that Congress must pass the Sudan Divestment Act. He then commented heavily on Dr. Ahmed’s selfless acts, giving light to the power of individual activism.

“As my brother Bobby so eloquently stated, ‘Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of those acts will be written the history of our generation.’”

Senator Kennedy, with the support and assistance of Ethel Kennedy, Robert Kennedy’s wife, presented the award.
With his arms raised high, his face awash in hope and peace, Dr. Ahmed took the award and stood strong for all of Sudan…he stood strong for all of mankind.

“…I never thought I’d come here today, not just as an individual RFK award winner, but as a citizen of Darfur…I also talk to you on behalf of my patients. The situation on the ground now is critical. The government of Sudan, who is my government, is really now targeting civilians.”

Dr. Ahmed asking for all of Sudan, placed the following plea before us today;

“I urge the United States and the international community to understand these camp liquidations for what they are: the final phase of the Sudanese government’s plan to exterminate the African tribes of Darfur. The fate of the people expelled from the camps is clear: they are left vulnerable to attacks by militias and left without access to the humanitarian aid they rely upon. Because of this situation, they will soon die of preventable disease, malnutrition, starvation or violence – unless they are protected!”

Dr. Ahmed serves as the Medical Treatment Director for the The Amel Center for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture in Sudan. The word Amel, means hope, which is exactly what the center gives all whom it treats, and to the country from which has given them both life and death. The center provides much needed treatment for women and young girls, who are often raped in front of their own families. “Females are systematically targeted…rape is used as a systematic weapon of war.”, but at the Amel clinic “we make them whole again…make society accept them. We cannot forget them!”, Dr. Ahmed stated. The clinic is a rarity in a country with little to no infrastructure, a country in desperate need of specialized services for widows, rape victims and children born of rape.

“We people in Darfur are badly in need of peace…we have started peace processes…the problem is that the government of Darfur, Sudan hates peace.” “We have to be consulted as the people of Darfur. Libya negotiation table failed as the people of Darfur where not consolidated.”

Kerry Kennedy once again took the stage, and with even more passion in her voice she took the microphone; “President Bashir thinks if there is no witnesses then it didn’t happen. He can only do this as long as we do not act.”, she said.
Ms. Kennedy then introduced Mia Farrow UN Goodwill Ambassador, mother of 14, actress, and activist, to speak on the situation in Sudan. Farrow has taken seven missions to Darfur in the last five years, and will take her eighth mission this coming January, her work and her words where nothing less then heart provoking. Showing photos from here previous journeys’ to Sudan, Farrow gave a face to the human suffering that has gone ignored for far too long by so many.

Farrow wasted no time, and did not begin her speech with a light and fluffy introduction, she simply aimed to bring the suffering of the people of Sudan to light, and her words hit hard;

“After the Nazi Holocaust, the world vowed “never again.” How obscenely disingenuous those fine words sound today. As we look at Rwanda, Darfur and eastern Chad, are we to conclude that “never again” applies only to white people?”

Farrow continued to speak strong, her words coming from her heart and from those who’s suffering she has witnessed first hand. “Almost five years of this suffering is five years too long! …what are we saying to the people of Darfur, only that they are completely dispensable.” Referring to “responsibility to protect”, the UN Security Council’s unanimous adoption of Resolution 1769 on Sudan, words which Farrow stated, “are proving to be as hollow as ‘never again’.” “we have failed Rwanda and we are failing Sudan…collectively and individually we have failed them.” Her voice full of passion, her eyes overwhelmed and verging on tears, as Farrow spoke on what she has seen, what she has heard, and most of all on what has failed to be done.

In closing Kerry Kennedy appeared to be speaking words broken by emotion, as she called the audience to do a traditional call for rain…the room filled with snaps, taps, stomps…and hope as the prayed for rain in Darfur. “With the hope of Dr. Ahmed, let us hope that in Darfur justice rains!”

The room was left in awe, and incited with passion, a passion one can only hope will lead one to stand-up and speak out for those who’s cries have long since fallen on deaf ears. Let us not turn our backs for one more day on the innocent woman, children and men of Darfur. To Dr. Ahmed the answer is simple, “Either protect the people of Darfur, or see Rwanda again. No one wants to see Rwanda again!”

Resources and Documents:

See all the RFK Human Rights Award Laureates here.
Release: Darfuri Doctor and Rights Defender to Receive 2007 RFK Human Rights Award
Speech: Dr. Mohammed Ahmed Abdallah at 2007 RFK Human Rights Award Ceremony
Speech: Kerry Kennedy at 2007 RFK Human Rights Award Ceremony
Speech: Senator Edward Kennedy at 2007 RFK Human Rights Award Ceremony
Speech: Mia Farrow at 2007 RFK Human Rights Award Ceremony
Washington Post article: Physician Honored For Work In Darfur
Voices of Genocide Prevention Podcast: Dr. Mohammed Ahmed Abdallah
AP Article: Doctor warns of Darfur camp expulsions
AP Article: Darfur Doctor Wins RFK Award
Voice of America, Webchat Transcript: Dr. Mohammed Ahmed Abdallah
Video from C-SPAN: Dr. Mohammed Ahmed at National Press Club Briefing
Interpress News Service article: Sudan: Civilians Driven Into Camps, Then the Bush
Washington Times article: Embassy Row (featuring Dr. Mohammed Ahmed)
Sudan Divestment Task Force
Mia Farrow’s Blog and photos on Darfur
Save Darfur

*please note some quoted statements, may differ slightly from they typed speeches in the links, as they where submitted prior to the event, and some quotes are taken at the event it’s self.

On November 14th UNICEF launched their annual Christmas fundraising campaign, the web-based Star Appeal. Now in its third year and UNHCR hopes to surpass last years total of US$560,000. The funds raised will be used to providing shelter and schooling for refugee children around the world. UNHCR launches Christmas appeal for refugee kids

This year’s appeal is being supported by John Dau, a former so-called “Lost Boy” of Sudan and subject of the documentary “God Grew Tired of Us.” Dau, who says his basic education in a UNHCR-run camp transformed his life, has signed a letter calling on donors to support the Star Appeal.

To find our more or make your donation go to the Star Appeal now. A little bit goes a long way. A donation of US$47 will purchase a survival kit for badly malnourished children; US$80 will buy a durable lightweight tent for a family of eight; US$125 will be enough for 25 blankets; and US$210 will pay the wages of a teacher for three months.

Imagine one who is the “only doctor for nearly half a million people”, and who also teaches, runs a clinic, and still manages to be on the counsel of his tribe. No, this is not a character in a movie, nor an action hero, but a simple doctor and gentle man who only wants to serve his people in their time of need in any way he can.

This evening the American Center for Progress hosted, “What’s Really Happening on the Ground” with Dr. Mohammed Ahmed Abdullah. On Friday, November 16th, Dr. Ahmed will be awarded the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award, and this week in DC he is taking time to share the situation and suffering in Darfur. The event began with Dr. Karen Hirschfeld, the Sudan Coordinator of Physicians for Human Rights, who nominated Dr. Ahmed for the Award. PFH was the first NGO to call Darfur a genocide and have been promoting Darfur since 2004.

“Without dedication you have nothing, without motivation you can do nothing.”

The first in his village to become a doctor, graduating from Khartoum University Medical School in 1976, Dr. Ahmed now sees no less than a 100 patents a day in his home, he is a mentor to aspiring physicians and healthcare workers…he is a man who will never be found without a smile upon his face and hope in his heart. He spoke how he had now been able to see his own mother for some five years, but that was just the way it was to be he said, for he had to do what he could and had to do….his sacrifice to him seems small, as he looks daily at the greater picture of life, death and suffering.

Dr. Ahmed asked, “So are we going to see Rwanda again?”, a question so many find themselves fearing the answer is ‘yes’, as we have already acted too late. Despite our blind eyes over the last five years, the people of Sudan are sill crying out for our help. Dr. Ahmed said the priorities which need to be taken, are number one is the protection of the Sudanese civilians, two the international community must take a stand, three the people of the US must start to support Sudan, four the people of Africa and Asia too must commit their support.

Dr. Ahmed once walked days to reach school and now people often walk days to see him. Receiving medical treatment in Sudan is no small feat, as the country only has two teaching hospitals, and in order to receive treatment one must go to the police to get a form 8, which must then be filled out with a full doctors report to get any aid. “If you are African there is no way you will get this.” Under the mandate a doctor can only treat those with this form, and thus many doctors have been arrested and harassed. The government doesn’t want this type of work to continue, and Dr. Ahmed is no stranger to these harassments, yet in his eyes one sees he is a stranger to fear. His work is enough to burden even the strongest team, he carries the weight alone and on his shoulders the load looks light. When asked by an audience member, “Where did you get your courage?”, Dr. Ahmed replied,

“If you are always suffering you will learn something…this will not abide me from doing the right thing.”

Dr. Mohammed spoke with warmth and openness, his frankness was both refreshing and heartbreaking. Though he spoke of endless suffering and tragedy, he also spoke of hope and optimism, he told not the stories of victims, but the stories of survivors. Though he stated that currently the Sudanese face “really miserable conditions and a lot of challenges, but with optimism and desire we can accomplish!.” Peace is the only option for Sudan, “To continue war will not help any!” The answer to him is simple; “You must protect civilians first or tomorrow, you will not find them. If you don’t protect the civilians, who is going to tell you what is happening…who will you unite without civilians?”

Related news articles on Dr. Mohammed:
Doctor warns of Darfur camp expulsions
African Doctor Wins RFK Award
Sudan: Civilians Driven Into Camps, Then the Bush
Sudanese Physician and PHR Partner, Dr. Mohammed Ahmed Abdallah, Receives 2007 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award Today in Washington, D.C.
RFK Memorial Foundation Press Release
The Amel Center for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture in Sudan
Sudan Journal, by PHR Deputy Director Susannah Sirkin
PHP Durfar Survival Campaign
Interview: Dr. Mohammed-Ahmed Abdallah, medical director of the Amel Center for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture in Darfur, speaks with Jerry Fowler, at the Holocaust Museums, Voices on Genocide Prevention, about the current situation on the ground in Darfur.

All over Cambodia teachers’ demands for “informal fees” are forcing children to quit classes because their parents cannot afford to pay. Seng Hong of NGO Education Partnership, an umbrella grouping of Cambodian education organizations, says research shows sending one child to school uses up almost a tenth of the average family income. “This increases if the family has two or more kids to send to school,” he said. “Then they may reconsider which kids should go to high-grade education and which kids should stop.” (BBC)

A recent Newsweek International report over the a recent discovery and controversy surrounding reports of child abuse in a school founded by the talk-show host Oprah Winfrey has only served to highlight the prevalence of sexual abuse in South Africa.

Those children displaced by the ongoing conflict in Iraq are not receiving enough educational support and access, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), approximately half of Iraqi IDP’s, some 220,000 are school aged children. “Displaced children have a particularly hard time accessing schools, water supplies and medical care. Many move without proper papers, creating bureaucratic hurdles in their new areas,” Hajaj added. “Displaced families struggle to find work, push children into poverty and make them vulnerable to child labour or other harmful forms of exploitation. And some children even become separated from their families during their move.” (IRIN)

Also in Iraq the number of girls attending school dropping, say analysts and they now fear that a large gender gap will soon appear. “The fear of losing their children through violence has led many families to keep their children at home but the number of girls kept at home is higher because in addition to the security problem, they are being forced by their families to assist in household chores,” said Sinan Zuhair, a media officer for the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

The situation in Iraq is very similar to the one Pakistan is facing, as Education the first casualty in Swat, as violence continues. “If this situation continues, it is going to have an adverse effect on education,” Mohammad Iqbal, principal of the Degree College for Boys, in Mingora, the largest city in Swat district. However it is girls that are primarily being pulled from school due to the increased violence in the region.

In Zimbabwe it is the teachers that are leaving the schools, and forcing many students out of the classrooms. Schools close as hordes of teachers resign, and students are forced to transfer schools in the midst of preparations for end of year exams. Recession that has engulfed the country for some seven years, is the primary cause of the teachers exodus. “The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), the biggest grouping of educators in the country, said this week that 15,200 teachers had migrated to neighboring states, such as South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Swaziland, since the beginning of 2007.”

The stubborn military conflict in Afghanistan is posing growing risks to the country’s children, a UNICEF ambassador said Wednesday. Martin Bell says in his new report that progress made during the last few years, such as higher levels of school enrollment and lower child mortality, could be reversed due to the fighting unless more is done to protect young people (CBC.ca/Associated Press).

In Bangladesh the primary-school dropout rate rises to 47 percent. High dropout rates in Bangladesh are not uncommon, but according to a study conducted by 10 NGOs and the Commonwealth Education Fund, the rate is now becoming quite alarming. Primary school dropouts have increased from 33% in 2002 to 47% in 2006, while the enrollment of children between 6-10 years has also declined, from 97% in 2002 to 93% in 2005.

A French Charity, Zoe’s Ark (L’Arche de Zoé) is accused of child trafficking in Chad. Chadian President Idriss Deby has even gone as far to accused the charity of accusing trying to take 103 children, to sell into the sex trade, and even sell their organs on the black market (according to a BBC news report).

The children where reportedly to be taken to France to live with some 50 families, who where waiting for the children’s arrival. The children, who were all claimed to be Sudanese, although some are now suspected to be Chadian, all though final verifications and investigations are yet to be completed.are now in protective custody in Chad and will be return All the children are to be returned to their families.

France has stated that the charity was acting illegally, neither Chad nor Sudan, have legalized international adoptions. Although charity representatives state that the children where only to be placed in temporary host family situations, and that the move out of the country was to save their lives. Some media reported that the children – aged one to nine according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) – were orphaned and sick and being evacuated to receive health care. One humanitarian worker in Chad told IRIN some of the children had bandaged limbs. However in later reports the UNHCR claimed the children were in good health, while the Chadian Minister of the Interior and Public Safety, Ahmat Mahamat Bachir, said that not all of the children were actually orphans.

What fate the children would have faced if transported out of Chad is still unknown. However in a day and age when the selling of humans, especially children, is becoming the worlds biggest business, one does not want to take any chances. The truth in this case may never be known, but in many ways it is a relief to see a government taking hard action to prevent possible trafficking, as in most cases children are not so lucky.

The French NGO staff of 6, 3 French journalist and 7 Spanish flight crew where placed under immediate arrest, and have today been formally charged, all could face a sentence of hard labor in Chad (French charity workers face kidnapping charges in Chad). The French charity workers where all charged with kidnapping, while the French journalist and the Spanish flight staff, where all charged with complicity (Chad charges aid workers with kidnapping).

A committee of 21 NGOs working in eastern Chad, including Save the Children, Oxfam, and Action against Hunger, has signed a joint statement expressing “profound concern” over the incident, which the committee calls a “serious violation” of the children’s rights.

“Since our arrival in Chad, we have worked very closely with the Chadian and Sudanese communities to assure that their basic needs are met,” the statement says. “We have always respected the rights of children in the communities we serve, and we will continue to integrate these fundamental principles into our work”(NGOs work to clear their name after child ‘trafficking’).

Incidents of some mild violence against NGO’s in the region, and the sheer scale of detriment that the case could cause to the international aid community, has prompted the EU to make a statement. ‘This is an isolated incident, the result of irresponsible conduct,’ a spokesman for the EU’s executive, the Commission, said (EU condemns “irresponsible” NGO in Chad orphan drama).

The story looks to be one of great international debate and uproar, however one can only hope that other stories of child trafficking can receive such public interest and outcry.