The Kalma Camp in Darfur is refusing government assistance until the government reverses its decision to outlaw 13 foreign aid organizations. Some of these organizations include Care International, Oxfam and Doctors Without Borders.
"We want the international [aid groups] back," said Ali Abdel Khaman Tahir, the chief sheik at Kalma, speaking by telephone because the government is refusing to allow journalists in the camp, which is on the edge of Nyala, the capital of Southern Darfur province.
This is a huge deal because Kalma is one of the largest refugee camps in Darfur that had 88,000 residents. Currently they cannot use the water pumps because they have ran out of fuel and are now using the polluted water near by. They are also refusing rice and other Goods from the government.
It has also been reported that 85 people have meningitis, including several deaths over the last two weeks. But because no aid groups are currently inside Kalma, figures cannot be confirmed.
Government officials insist they will not reverse the expulsion of the aid groups, which they accused of providing information to help the International Criminal Court build a war crimes case against Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir. The groups denied the charges.
QUestionnnnn I know this isnt my Part of the world this week but i found this really interesting. Do you think its wrong that innocent children are dying because the people of the camps are being stubborn? Or do you think this is something worth fighting for.
Do you think its wrong that innocent children are dying because the people of the camps are being stubborn? Or do you think this is something worth fighting for.
no, this children should be helped...i think its wrong to refuse humanitarin aid when there are people there who obviously need it. its unethical no matter how u look at it.
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"nothing makes a woman more beautiful than the belief that she is beautiful"
I don't think they're being stubborn. It's their way of protesting their horrible government. And as sad as this is, if more children die, they just become statistics.
In a way, by refusing government assistance, they ARE fighting for their right to be able to receive foreign aid. They're refusing because the government doesn't do anything to help them. They sit and watch thousands of people die.
-- Edited by KW00D on Tuesday 31st of March 2009 05:53:52 PM
The government's wrong for banning NGOs not the camp. Of course the government in turn is going to blame the Camps for refusing their measly aid. I hope NGOs are allowed back into Sudan as they have more care for their citizens then those stupid ignorant government leaders there.
I personally beleive that these people are not stubborn for fighting for foreign aid. Yes, people are dying and kids are getting terribly sick. To prove points we must go to extremes and i beleive thats whats going on in this situation at hand.
CORAMARIE, i think that is easy for you to say when you arent directly affected by what is going on when you are way over here with a stable country and you dont have the worries that these people do. i think everyone should adopt a more compassionate viewpoint. if we could feel what these people were going through i think our views and opinions about the issue would be much more different and for the better. and this goes for every subject, not just this one. people dying is not worth proving any point. if you were there i think you would agree with that statement at least.
