I’m especially annoyed tonight because we’ve discovered that
UNHCR have completely panicked. They suddenly realised (despite having been
informed some time ago) that there is unexploded ordinance (UXO – or bullet
casings, remnants of other ammunition, bombs etc) on the site that the Jamam
refugees have settled. “Why didn’t you tell us?!” – indignantly. We did. We
had. They didn’t listen.
The authorities have claimed the site to be safe, and it is
the best site for miles around because it doesn’t get flooded during the rainy
season – but there have been some minor incidences of people being injured due
to UXO being set off by the host community burning grass, or refugees making
fire. It’s a bit scary, considering our compound is right next door. Where the
refugees have settled used to be a military barracks, which is why the UXO is
there, and the broader area was a battleground during the war.
We already knew about the presence of UXO, and had informed
UNHCR of the reported accidents when they happened. MineTech, a mine clearance
organisation, had even come to the site and cleared it of any surface UXO they
could find (they found 45 items). The problem is that UXO can be under the
ground and may be set off by people unknowingly walking on it, or by setting
fire to the grass which makes it explode, or by digging – even kids discovering
curious metallic objects is dangerous, because they can trigger them to explode
if they play with them or hit them with other objects.
So this is the reason UNHCR are dithering about establishing
the site in Jamam. They’ve had to work out what to do now that they don’t
believe they should set up a camp on a site with UXO. Fair enough. But why didn’t
they tell us earlier? Why don’t they get MineTech to come and clear the UXO
from around people’s homes?
What they have decided is to move people to a new site,
about 1km up the road from our compound.
They have marked it out, got permission from the authorities to use it,
and are currently organising for NPA to come in and assess it, given that it
may also have UXO on it. More delays while they assess and clear the site. Plus this site floods during the rainy season.
Nice. Why not put suffering people into a place that will turn into a swamp in
a few months’ time?
Regardless of a new site, I don’t actually believe that the
refugees already in Jamam will want to move. They have been running from the
bombing for four months. They are already weak from lack of food and water, and
sickness such as diarrhoea. They continue to become weaker and weaker from
continued lack of food & water and ongoing sickness due to drinking
contaminated water. I completely don’t blame them if they don’t want to move.
Anyway, there are 4,000 people sitting outside our compound
with nothing, and we aren’t doing anything to assist them – and neither is
anyone else – because everyone is only just starting to get their shit together
in Doro. It seems that the people in Jamam have been largely ignored – because
they are not in an official refugee camp.
The key reason the Jamam refugees are being ignored is because
UNHCR have stated that they will provide no assistance to them. Distributing
food, providing water or medical assistance would encourage them to stay in
their current location, which is unsafe due to the presence of UXOs, and UNHCR do
not want to be held responsible should any accidents occur on the site. They’ve
also advised that we shouldn’t provide any assistance to the refugees either.
But how can we sit by and watch people suffer when we have
the means to assist them? Risk or no risk to the organisation, these people
really need help. So, regardless of what UNHCR advise, we are still going to
provide emergency water to them. They are people in a dire situation. We have to assist.
No comments:
Post a Comment