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Dire Situation Continues for Refugees in Afghanistan
An Afghan named Ibrahim holds his youngest son outside a mud hut where he lives with his wife and 11 children. Normally, Kabul’s winters are mild for a city in a mountainous country, but not this year. It was the coldest January in 20 years, according to Mohammad Aslam Fazaz, deputy director of the national disaster office. Most nights, temperatures dropped below 20 degrees. Credit: Andrea Bruce for The New York Times
By Alisha, a student voluneer
In previous years, the government of Afghanistan had been hesitant to support refugee camps and provided little funding to better the conditions of Afghani refugees for they believed camps disrupted Afghanistan’s infrastructure. However, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Switzerland and the United Nations officials attended a conference in Geneva last Thursday and finalized a $1.9 billion plan to support and assist 9 million Afghan refugees. Shaukat Ullah, Pakistan’s minister for states and frontier regions said, “We should consider this conference as a starting point of an international consensus for an orderly and safe, voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees”. Yet, in reality, war and violence persists in Afghanistan, preventing millions from returning home. Therefore, the international community must focus on what they can do in the meantime to prevent the loss of lives, better the living conditions in the camps, and prepare refugees for successful repatriation.
The nature of the current and ongoing war in Afghanistan is not easily predictable; however, one predictable aspect of the living conditions for Afghani refugees is the severe weather. Afghanistan’s characteristic winters force people to stay indoors as much as possible and make living very difficult. Kabul, Afghanistan, where 45 refugee camps are located, can resemble the sub-arctic, where temperatures can dropas low as -31 °C. With little clothing and food, the lack of a heating system, and no money for medical treatment, living conditions can be unbearable for Afghan refugees, especially children. A French aid agency, Solidarites International, carried out a survey this March to investigate the conditions of the refugee camps and the situation of the refugees. Reports found that over 100 children lost their lives during this past winter season due to the cold conditions at numerous refugee camps. Although the data is still being collected from multiple camps, the current calculations show that the mortality rate is 2.5 per 10,000. Julie Bara who led the survey stated that this mortality rate establishes the situation as a full-fledged humanitarian disaster.
Winter has now come to an end, but these deaths could have easily been prevented if there could have been an immediate distribution of funds and a more knowledgeable, assertive international community. Additionally if the refugees were given the opportunity to obtain jobs and an education, they may have been able to ensure housing and protection for themselves.
Refugees International Japan supports internally displaced people and refugees from all around the world with a focus on giving opportunity to people to rebuild their lives. Officials at the conference acknowledged the difficulty of raising the promised fund for Afghanistan; your support for the Afghan refugees is very much needed and appreciated. Please donate to this cause and/or join Refugees International Japan to raise awareness of refugee issues, so loss like that of Afghanistan in these past months can be prevented in the future. We can now look hopefully at the future of Afghan refugees with the secure backing of the international community.
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Annual Grand Auction
Rhythm & Hope 2012
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The third annual Rhythm & Hope was held at SuperDeluxe on Thursday, March 29, 2012.
MC Miyashita Toshiko kick started the evening with an early bird raffle, before introducing the first act, Monako 90000, a keyboard & acoustic guitar duo from Tohoku, who proved through their harmonies that the music scene is alive and reviving in North East Japan. The energetic salsa performance by Casino Dance Studio then got everyone up and dancing, with DJ Guy entertaining the crowd between acts. Ruby Room Orchestra followed after with their unique blend of rock, jazz and funk, and The Watanabes wrapped up the evening with a fun set featuring whimsical lyrics and catchy tunes from their latest album.
A raffle was drawn towards the end of the night with a number of lucky guests taking out great prizes such as return flights to Honolulu courtesy of Delta Airlines and a weekend at Mt. Haruna courtesy of AbseilingMe.
RIJ would like to extend a big thank you to all the bands for sharing their time and talent to play for us, and to the sponsors and donors for their kind support. All proceeds from the event will be channeled towards projects that help restore human dignity to refugees around the world.
Support needed for Burma’s recovery
by Alisha
There are high hopes for a more peaceful, stable, and safe Burma with the outcome of the 2012 elections held this month. However, despite increased optimism, the situation in Burma continues to be a neglected humanitarian crises in the international realm and we must take a look at and address the reality that this country and its people face. Currently, an estimated 100,000 Burmese are known to be living in India. An additional 40,000 to 50,000 are known to have sought refuge in nearby countries including Thailand and Malaysia. Well over a million Burmese are internally displaced. Overall, three million people over the decades of political unrest, ethnic rivalries, and economic stagnation are reported to have been displaced.
The UNHCR has been investigating the current situation of refugees in Mizoram, India and have found that the conditions there are extremely poor. It was found that the Burmese experience extreme social persecution for being immigrants. They are unable to obtain jobs, find shelter, and receive refugee status; thus, they continue to be without protection. Still, although the situation is very grim in India, the Burmese that were interviewed claimed that their current situation is far better than living in Burma.
Until the Burmese government meets the needs of their people, these refugees deserve protection, guidance, and the resources necessary for survival.
Refugees International Japan has been supporting Burmese refugees through the program “Human Rights Program from Burmese Refugees.” This program was developed to raise leaders that will promote and educate the community on human rights, which will then contribute to political change and social stability. Another RIJ-sponsored program, “Educational Support for Karenni Further Studies Program”will provide children and young adults to receive formal education in English, Maths, Science, Computer Operations and Social Studies, as well as other subjects like Leadership and Management to build their capacity to take up future leadership and managerial roles, and ultimately, rebuild their lives.
Donations to RIJ’s programs in Burma are greatly appreciated.
Photo from Jane Best's visit to the Thai-Burma border in 2009.
Click here to read Jane Best’s visit report of her trip to the Thai-Burma border in 2009
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