Tuesday, September 25, 2007

What Sort of People Are We?

Yesterday Amnesty International reminded the world that there are some 4 million refugees from the Iraq invasion. Two million of these people are considered to be internally displaced (read "they have no home") and the remaining 2 million are in camps in neighboring countries. About 2000 people are leaving Iraq EACH DAY!!!!!!!

As one of the countries involved in this abomination, I wonder what we are doing about this. The funds provided by "the Coalition of the willing" to run the refugee camps don't even come close to providing the basics - and lets remember that refugee camps are not luxurious - we are talking tents, food rations and hopefully enough pumps to provide fresh water. There are no schools, no medical help (apart from charities), no sanitation as such.

Australia has proven itself of being incapable of rising above the political rhetoric of considering 'Arab' refugees as anything but potential terrorists.

When are we going to take responsibility for the mess we have made in Iraq - if we aren't going to provide refuge for the people who's homeland we have obliterated, let's at least provide sufficient funds for those countries who are providing the succor that we aren't.

If you break it, you pay for it.

1 comment:

Chelsea + Shiloh said...

Oh baby, we think to simply...to us its basic human rights. To others they are not human.

I was reading the Cholera is now the latest. The govt (usa) has stopped trucks of cholorine (needed for water treatment) the govt (iraq) has taken any cholorine based products off the shelves. If you are thirsty, you have no option but to drink the water....

I wrote of the displacement of Iraqis and the numbers are astronomical. Where do u run when there is no one left who will take you.

You now have a generation of children, some so trauma'd they no longer speak, women & children being forced to prositute themselves to feed their family....

It is like a pebble in a pond...the ripples will go on infinitum