Reply #14: Is this a temporary solution to a more permanent problem? [View All]

[LiberalAndProud]

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/civilians-somalia-face-ongoing-human-rights-violations-2010-03-25

Civilians in Somalia face ongoing human rights violations
Abuses in the last six months have been mainly committed by opposition groups
Thousands have been killed or injured by shelling and other heavy bombardment


25 March 2010

Clear patterns of human rights abuse have emerged during the latest cycle of violence in Somalia, which began when armed opposition groups launched a major offensive against the government in Mogadishu in May 2009, Amnesty International said on Thursday.

In the document, No end in sight: The ongoing suffering of Somalia's civilians, Amnesty International reviews violations of international human rights and humanitarian law committed over the past six months, primarily by armed groups opposed to the Somali government and African Union (AU) forces.

The document also lists allegations of indiscriminate fire by government and AU forces that need to be investigated.

Thousands of civilians have been killed and injured by shelling and other heavy bombardment, as armed opposition groups al-Shabab and Hizbul Islam have fought Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and AU forces, primarily in the capital Mogadishu.

http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/11/24/lead-contaminated-roma-camps-kosovo-shut-down

Lead-Contaminated Roma Camps in Kosovo Shut Down
Protecting the health of vulnerable, displaced people
December 9, 2010

The EC and USAID are now closing down the Roma camps in Mitrovica and constructing alternative housing.
.This fall, the European Commission (EC) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) began closing down lead-contaminated camps in Kosovo, where displaced Roma were living in abysmal health conditions for a decade. Human Rights Watch documented more than a decade of failure by the United Nations and others to provide adequate housing and medical treatment for the Roma in these camps, and pressed the EC and USAID to relocate the camps’ inhabitants to a safe environment with access to medical treatment.

In Pristina, Brussels, New York, and Washington, we briefed Kosovo authorities, international donors, and governments on our findings and recommendations and pressed for urgent action to remedy the problem. We conducted substantial media outreach, including the production and distribution of a photo slideshow, which resulted in prominent press coverage in the Guardian, the Observer, and on Deutsche Welle and the newswires.

How committed are we to following through on our commitment beyond the scope of military intervention? Can we do better? Are we fully exploring our nonmilitary options?