Posted by: Angelica Zamora “One dies when he’s forgotten.” This is a verse written by Colombian poet Manuel Mejía Vallejo, and today it seems to be a reality regarding the tragedy of victims in Colombia. This week, the Annual Report of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned that armed conflict in this…
“How much could a wheelchair cost?” Rubina exclaimed. “Seven hundred rupees?” She took 500 rupees, about $7, from her wallet and turned back to Mahia’s tent to give it to her family. In 2008, while in her home in Bajaur Agency, shrapnel from tank or artillery shelling struck Mahia in the head, paralyzing her and…
By Chris On New Year’s Day, residents of Shah Hassan Khel – a village outside South Waziristan – gathered to watch two local teams face off in a volleyball match. Suddenly, a suicide bomber plowed his truck into the crowd. The explosion was felt 11-miles away and decimated the surrounding neighborhood. Over 100 people from…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G—HJwiyzQ
By Chris I’m in Jalozai camp in northwest Pakistan. Built on a barren, dusty plain, it is a massive tent city with over 80,000 displaced persons. Residents of Jalozi have little or no access to employment. They are completely dependent on UN agencies and NGOs for food, water, and other essentials. Plastic sheeting around ‘blocks’…
Posted by Erica G from Kabul I’ve been in Gardez the last week — a small provincial capitol about two hours south of Kabul. Security is slightly better than this time last year, when the community was still reeling from nightly airstrikes in districts just outside of the city. But reports of targeting and assassination…
By Chris Life is difficult for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Tarnol—a slum outside of Islamabad. It is a dusty, desolate place on the outskirts of the city. Its streets are narrow and unpaved, lined with cramped homes, many held together by earthen bricks and animal dung. Most of the displaced are crowded into relatives’…
Posted by: Scott P I spent the day here at the United Nations. At 10 a.m. sharp, Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger called the UN Security Council to order as President. Seated around the horseshoe-shaped table were Ambassadors, Foreign Ministers, and high-level UN officials who had come from near and far to speak about the…
By Chris Fighting in South Waziristan has led to the death of many civilians, according to reports from those fleeing the area. However, restrictions on access make it impossible to get accurate information on civilian casualties. The restrictions prevent all aid workers and journalists from reaching South Waziristan. As a result, no one knows how…