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The Ten Most Underreported Crises/Doctors Without Borders
These are the crises that go unreported by the MSM. The crises that show war, death, famine, and the daily struggle for survival that Doctors Without Borders does all in its power to combat with our help. I think these photos should be viewed as a reminder of the world we live in... a world that should be what we make it. And that should begin with basic human kindness, compassion, and responsibility not only to our planet but to each other. These are the crises that go unreported by the MSM. The crises that show war, death, famine, and the daily struggle for survival that ... more
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Trapped Somali Populations Need Immediate Life-Saving Assistance/Doctors Without B...
The people of Somalia are currently facing a massive humanitarian crisis with unmet critical medical needs. In May alone, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams working in the Mogadishu suburbs of Hawa Abdi and Afgooye treated more than 2,500 children suffering from acute malnutrition, with admissions to MSF nutritional programs doubling in April and doubling again in May. Malnutrition rates have exceeded emergency thresholds for a year. The number of new cases is drastically increasing while external assistance is dwindling in quality and quantity due to high insecurity and increased targeting of humanitarian workers. Somalis attempting to flee the violence have few options for escape, as the main border crossings are closed.
“Somalia is no longer on the verge of a catastrophe, the disaster is happening now,” said Bruno Jochum, MSF director of operations in Geneva. “Last week alone, over 500 severely malnourished children were admitted to our nutritional programs. One out of six of these children needed to be hospitalized due to medical complications. If this trend continues, malnutrition may soon affect more of the general population such as children over five-years-old and vulnerable adults. The situation is tragic and we are unable to provide the aid necessary to prevent further deterioration of the situation.”
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And governments of the world continue to use their force in these regions to gain control over resources while the people continue to die.
The people of Somalia are currently facing a massive humanitarian crisis with unmet critical medical needs. In May alone, Doctors With... more -
4.7 million Iraqis have been displaced since 2003
Iraq remains one of the most dangerous places in the world. Its refugee crisis is worsening. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), since the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, an estimated 4.7 million have been displaced both within and outside Iraq and for many the situation is desperate.
A new report by Amnesty International, Rhetoric and reality: the Iraqi refugee crisis, says that the international community continues to fail to respond to the crisis in a meaningful way. Countries like Jordan and Syria host most of the refugees but are simply not equipped to meet the needs of all those arriving.
Syria alone may be hosting more than a million refugees. As of 2007, only 1 percent of the total Iraqi displaced population was estimated to be in the industrialized world.
To mark World Refugee Day, Amnesty International has called on the international community and, in particular, those states who participated in the US-led invasion of Iraq, to take real steps to alleviate the suffering of those displaced. The organization said these countries must urgently act on their responsibility to assist the host nations and humanitarian organizations operating in the region to support the large numbers of refugees.
Many families are destitute and facing impossible choices and new risks, like having to resort to child labour and the prospect of being forced through circumstances to undertake "voluntary" return to Iraq.
Iraq remains one of the most dangerous places in the world. Its refugee crisis is worsening. According to the United Nations High Comm... more -
Doctors Without Borders:Survivors of Cyclone Nargis Still Living in Dire Condition...
MSF medical staff have in the past month carried out more 17,000 consultations, with an average of 500 per day in the last week of May. At first, more than half the patients were treated for injuries caused by the cyclone, but very soon other pathologies linked to the dire conditions in which people lived dominated the consultations. Some MSF teams have seen a high number of respiratory infections and cases of diarrhea, which could be linked to a lack of access to clean water, absence of shelters, and exposure to heavy rains in recent weeks.
"In many areas, especially where death rates have been high, we are seeing more and more people suffering from mental health problems," says Alena Koscalova, MSF medical coordinator in Yangon. "Some can not talk anymore, others are highly depressed after they lost their loved ones. In the coming weeks, we will try to address this problem by giving trauma counseling and psycho-social support with mental health specialists."
Over a three month period, MSF expects to carry out around 50,000 consultations at a rate of 500 per day. MSF aims to respond to any disease outbreaks within 24 hours of the reports and to ensure that any patients with severe health problems will be referred to secondary level health facilities. So far, no disease outbreak or alarming rates of malnutrition were reported by MSF’s 36 mobile teams in the delta.
Four weeks after the relief operations started, food, shelter, and access to clean water and remain the biggest needs of the victims. Food supplies have been largely insufficient as specialized agencies have not been able to set up proper distribution channels and in many areas, people have barely received enough to survive, if anything at all. Tens of thousands of people have seen their houses destroyed, lost all their properties and food reserves and have to rely on external assistance.
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Doctors Without Borders is truly one of the most extraordinary organizations on this planet. No matter where tragedy strikes they are there to give aid and life to those who suffer regardless of what they need. While I feel helpless in being able to do as much as I would like to help these people, I know that through helping DWB I am helping them and that gives me peace of mind.
If you wish to help the people of Burma, Doctors Without Borders is for sure a good way to get that help to them. This is another tragedy that I fear is falling out of the consciousness of people now that the initial news cycle is over. However, millions still suffer and the international community must then in my opinion step up and hold the military junta in Burma accountable for the deaths of those who did not receive aid in time due to their dictatorial rule of this country. MSF medical staff have in the past month carried out more 17,000 consultations, with an average of 500 per day in the last week of May... more -
1.5 million survivors in Myanmar without shelter
A severe shortage of housing has left hundreds of thousands of cyclone survivors in Myanmar exposed to heavy rain as the monsoon season begins, aid agencies said Saturday.
The United Nations and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said there was an urgent need for tarpaulins to provide temporary shelter to an estimated 1.5 million homeless survivors. Otherwise, the threats of hunger and disease could intensify, they warned.
"Exposure to the elements five weeks after a disaster of this magnitude has to be a major concern," said John Sparrow, a spokesman for the IFRC. "People are in a weakened condition. They are sick; they are hungry. Without shelter, their whole situation is seriously exacerbated."
Sparrow estimated that only a quarter of those who need shelter materials have been reached.
The U.N. estimates 2.4 million people were affected when Cyclone Nargis hit May 2-3, and warns that more than 1 million still need help, mostly in the hard-to-reach Irrawaddy delta.
John Holmes, the U.N. undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said "relatively few" of those survivors who were badly affected by the storm have not received any sort of aid. But he said the U.N.'s effort needs to be stepped up because many survivors still need help and supplies.
"I think people are getting to all the main places, although it's not always as easy as it should be," he said. "There's no evidence of starvation at the moment, although as I say many people are still in significant need of aid."
U.N. officials and aid groups have criticized the regime for hindering access to the delta, saying it has prevented enough food, water and shelter from reaching desperate survivors.
The U.N. also said Saturday that a lack of funding was hindering the aid effort, with only $20 million of the required $50 million received to finance logistic efforts that allow it to extend aid operations into remote regions.
A severe shortage of housing has left hundreds of thousands of cyclone survivors in Myanmar exposed to heavy rain as the monsoon seaso... more -
Myanmar cyclone: Burma 'to let in all foreign aid workers'
Burma's top leader has agreed to let all foreign aid workers into the country for relief work in cyclone-hit areas. UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon made the announcement after meeting with Gen Than Shwe and 10 other junta officials in Burma's capital. Ban was there for what was called "a last-chance effort" to persuade them to accept much-needed aid and relief experts.
About 78,000 people died and 56,000 are missing after the 2 May cyclone. Ban called Gen Than's decision "a breakthrough."
Yesterday, Burma's junta told Ban that the first phase of relief effort is over. Ban took a "carefully managed tour" of the Irrawaddy delta yesterday to see for himself the damage caused by Cyclone Nargis. It was reported that Ban was taken to a well-managed relief camp, known by locals as a "happy camp." The visit was filmed by state run media, depicting scenes that sharply contrasted the reports from international aid agencies on the ground in Burma that the majority of the 2.4 million affected had yet to receive aid.
The international community remains skeptical about the junta's optimism about relief progress in Burma. Ban Ki-moon said he was "very upset" by what he saw during his tour, and encouraged Burmese not to lose their hope and courage. Burma's top leader has agreed to let all foreign aid workers into the country for relief work in cyclone-hit areas. UN secretary gener... more -
Bush/Cheney coup will stop Obama from ever becoming president.
The risk of George Bush and his entire administration going to prison is far to high for him to ever leave office.This administration is in way too deep to even consider giving up total control of our country. The only people that have a hard time believing this ,live in the United States of America. Donald Rumsfield was recently rushed out of France because an attempted arrest on the charges of International War crimes.The latest official Iraqi death toll census is now over 1.2 million people. This historical atrocity can only continue by our government attacking Iran before the start of the 2008 election.
Whether we choose to believe this or not is not of consequence. What's important is that because so few of us acknowledge this possibility,hardly any of us are prepared.Worse yet for us who may seem prepared, what really can we do ? The risk of George Bush and his entire administration going to prison is far to high for him to ever leave office.This administration... more -
Thousands Murdered By Canada's Churches: Modern day genocide and ethnic cleansing...
This is a shocking video of modern day genocide being commited by the church,the corporations, and government, today in the country of Canada. Unless you watch this,you wouild never believe that this is happening today, in our neighboring county. I love Canada. I love the land and the people,but after watching this shocking report of atrocities that are taking place today,I have no illusions about the government there,especially the government/church/ and corporation alliance
Most media outlets around he world, have caved into pressure about the viewing of the horrible trith,and the revelations of the ongoings of the church. I can only hope that current.com does not fall prey to the same tactics. For those of us that seek truth in everything that we encounter today, this a must see video,and please pass it on. This is a shocking video of modern day genocide being commited by the church,the corporations, and government, today in the country o... more -
Did speaking out against war cost Dr. Martin Luther King his life?
Dr. Martin Luther King spoke out against America's involvement in Viet Nam after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway,December 10th.1964, for work and speech on Non-Violence. This angered the government of the United States,as well as vast majority of the population that felt that he being ungrateful after being awarded and unpatriotic in not supporting this country's involvement in southeast Asia. Most White Americans had favored Dr. King over the more Malcom X, who at that time,before his assasination,did not preach nonviolence. Malcom X, who after leaving the Nation of Islam, changed his name to El-Hadj Malik el-Shabazz, spoke of "by any means necessary". But while Dr. King was still considered the more passive and non-threatning of the two, America was not comfortable with Blacks speaking out on the international stage against American foreign policy. America has not expirienced changed as a nation the way it did in the late 60's and early 70's since then.. After the war and then Watergate,the nation was silenced. Why ?
Some believed that after a series of assasinations of JFK, Malcom X, MLK, AND Robert Kennedy Jr, most leaders,as well as most people had become afraid to speak out, that is until today.
The irony, in the eyes of Dr. King, was that he was awarded the peace prize for asking Negroes,(as we were referd to back then,) to be passive against Alabama Governor Bull Conner's vicious dogs and waterboarding, then denounced for praticing the same non-violent methodology against the North Vietnamese. Since that time, a pattern has developed. Andy Young, who was later Secretary of State under then President Jimmy Carter, was later forced to reisgn his post for his handling of a situation that involved Israel. Although he was Secretary of State at that time,and that was his role,politians at home sharply criticized for actions and he was force to resign. Today Condeleeza Rice assumes that role and is sharply critcized by both Blacks and Whites in America, as well people all over the world because she's apart of the George Bush regime, however because she is a woman,to most,she's always been considered non-threatning to the Whte male establishment and this leads us to today.Unfortunately, some Americans sadly still fill that," the sons and daughters of formers slaves should never speak on behalf of this great country.( See the Virginia Election results.)
If he were alive, what would Dr. King say about America's involvement in the middle east today , and would this country honor his presence the way we do in his memory ,or would that have changed also after his speech on War. It's obvious to some as to why John McCain voted against a National Holiday in his name, being a former POW of the Viet Nam war. Was immortalizing him in death the safest way out for this government ? In a nutshell, how would Dr. King feel about America today, and how would America feel about Dr. King ? Dr. Martin Luther King spoke out against America's involvement in Viet Nam after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, No... more -
President Kennedy Warned Of Secret Societies Back In 1960, Can We Stop Them Now ?
President John Kennedy,in one of his most memorable speeches, spoke and warned our nation of the dangers of secret societies and the shadow government. In doing so,he was fearless. It cost him his life. So where are today ? Are we as a people as fearless as he was,or was his death in vain, because today people are afraid to speak up or speak out, or is it because most of mainstream media has been bought and sold,and just become a big propaganda machine we choose to listen to and believe ,in fear of reprisal and being called "unpatriotic" ?
I believe that everyone,candidates and voters, should be required to watch this film, atleast the first part where he is warning us as a nation of what the consequences were for us,if we didn't take a moral inventory of ourselves, collectively. I believe that the same questions should be ask to all candidates for office and not just the presidency of the United States.
Once a candidate takes office,does he now really have the ability to establish change, or is there a perpetrator that is woven so deep within,that he has no power his own, and he is now simply just ready a script ?
It frighten my wife to death that I write articles like this, I cannot help it .I was a third grader in Clovis,New Mexico, coming in from lunch break when the teacher sat us down and told the classroom of his assasination. I was terrified. I didn't understand the meaning behind it.Years later, when Dr.King and his brother Bobby were killed, I began to understand, but it only made me angry.This election has evoked those memories, because history is being made right before our very own with Senator Barack Obama. This is not to say that he can fill the shoes of either three of these men, but his platform is about change, and if he is true to his platform, how much changed is possible from the oval office and how much of a possibility is change from us as a people? With so much to change, where do we start ? Some of us don't want change, because we really believe that it will cost to much of ourselves to make it better for everybody.That's the part that frightens me the most. If it does not affect me, then why should I vote for change ? President John Kennedy,in one of his most memorable speeches, spoke and warned our nation of the dangers of secret societies and the ... more -
George Bush's private army back In Iraq and now being unleashed here in America!
Blackwater is the private security,and American government's mercenary group that was found guilty of humanitarian crimes that included the unprovoked murders of a countless number of unarmed Iraqi civilians.They had been kicked out of Iraq. Their stories were told on 60 Minutes and other mainstream media outlets in this country.What's not being told is that,not only have they been sent back to patrol the streets of Iraq, but that the right-wing,fundamental Christian sponsored, mercenary group is now being unleashed in the city streets of America.
It apparently didn't bother Americans that much when that were using Iraqi civilians as target practice to sharping their killing skills.What will Americans say when they find out that these,"found guilty" mercenaries are being sent our cities to patrol the streets,by this,"shadow government,that most Americans claim does not really exist.Our congressman or senators of this government say that ,they themselves, have no knowledge as to who does control and monitor Blackwater.So who does oversee these so-called private security groups like Blackwater,and since they have immunity from prosecution,who do they answer to.
Since2001,the Bush administration has funded Blackwater with than one billion dollars for private contracts throughout the world,while over one hundred billion dollars are awarded to in military defense contracts to private security companies every year,around the world.The average salary for a Blackwater secuity agent is around twelve hundred dollars a day.That's six times more than the salary that the American soldiers are being paid to fight the same war. In addition to this,the new Iraqi constituttion that the American government help the Iraqis write, no longer has the authority to expell Blackwater and other private security firms from their own country.
Must See Video
http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/12964-blackwater-banned-i...
Blackwater is the private security,and American government's mercenary group that was found guilty of humanitarian crimes that inc... more -
While the U.S. defends interest in the Middle East, poor Haitians next door eat mu...
The American government claims that our interest abroad,Iraq in particular,is for freedom of the Iraqi people. If that is true,how can we watch the on going suffering of the people in Haiti only hundreds of miles from the Florida coast. Worst than that,our government allows immigrants from almost any country except Haiti to seek political asylum in the U.S. Mexicans,Latins from Central America,Cubans, most people from Europe and all over the rest of the planet can come to America,except Haitians. Why is that? What is so bad about Haitian people that the U.S. coast guard will turn their makeshift rafts around in the middle of the oceans deadly currents,knowing that people who are only seeking freedom and a better way of life for themselves and their families,while being turned around will now risk death by either sea or political execution upon their forced return to the small famished,diseased stricken island..
Haiti people are so poor that baking of mud cookies has becomie a staple in the Haitian diet. Bcause it is normal, some people in America think that it is done more in tradition that it is out of necessity. It's mormal because of poverty. Shame on America. Shame on us as a neighboring country to ignore the Haitian people as if they just a bunch of diseased animals just waitig to die. Is love thy neighbor as thyself just a biblical fairytale ?
Would we allow the United States government to ignore this ambarrassing modern day atrocity to take place if Haitians were White and not Black ? I don't think so. We, as a Nation, are just as guilty as all of Europe was, that watched Adolph Hitler annihilate German's Jews.These are crimes against humanity. Some,with Christians with twisted minds,justify turning their backs on the small island south of Florida, by truly thinking that Haiti is really Hades, as in the Biblical place called Hell.
Must See Videos: The Lost Children Of Haiti. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20293963/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23507559
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5054522
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/up/20411141#204111...
Must See Videos: ( Watch On Real Video Stream ) :
Haiti Is The Poorest Nation In Tthe Western Hemisphere.
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/5/1/back_from_haiti_re...
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/4/24/the_us_role_in_ha... The American government claims that our interest abroad,Iraq in particular,is for freedom of the Iraqi people. If that is true,how can... more -
Children of Zimbabwe
In the midst of Zimbabwe's power struggle and looming economic collapse, the innocent children are left helpless. See the stories of just a few. In the midst of Zimbabwe's power struggle and looming economic collapse, the innocent children are left helpless. See the stories of ... more
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Zimbabwe - Thousands flee for food, shelter, and safety
Despite fears of being sent back, many Zimbabweans illegally cross the border into South Africa to escape hunger and violence.
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Google for Good.
Google Earth have teamed up the Holocaust Memorial museum to map the destruction in Darfur and now the UN planning to train lots of humanitarian organisations to use the technology. Google Earth freaks some people out, but it's nice to see all that tech and the brain power behind it being used for good. Google Earth have teamed up the Holocaust Memorial museum to map the destruction in Darfur and now the UN planning to train lots of hu... more
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Police beat Tibetans storming Chinese embassy in Katmandu
A group of 200 Tibetan exiles and monks tried to storm the Chinese Embassy visa office in Nepal's capital on Sunday but police beat them back with bamboo batons.
At least 130 protesters were arrested and some of the demonstrators and policemen were injured in the scuffle.
The protesters reached the metal gate of the fortified compound and were kicking and trying to push it open when police armed with bamboo batons raced to the scene and began beating them.
''Stop the killing, stop the killing,'' the protesters chanted as they charged toward the office gate.
Nepal has said it would not allow protests against any ''friendly nation,'' including China.
International rights groups, like New York-based Human Rights Watch, and the United Nations have repeatedly criticized Nepal's handling of the Tibetan protests and beating of the protesters. A group of 200 Tibetan exiles and monks tried to storm the Chinese Embassy visa office in Nepal's capital on Sunday but police beat t... more -
Inupiat Eskimos file lawsuit against greenhouse gas hawkers and emitters
A tiny and impoverished Alaskan village of Inupiat Eskimos located in the Arctic Circle, Kivalina, filed a lawsuit March 4 against industrial corporations that emit large quantities of greenhouse gases.
Kivalina faces imminent destruction from global warming due to the melting of sea ice that formerly protected the village from coastal storms during the fall and winter. The diminished sea ice due to global warming has caused a massive erosion problem that threatens the village's existence and urgently requires the village be relocated.
The Native village of Kivalina filed the case against defendants ExxonMobil Corp., Peabody Energy Corp., Southern Company, American Electric Power Co., Duke Energy Co, Chevron Corp. and Shell Oil Co., among others.
The suit claims damages due to the defendant companies' contributions to global warming and invokes the federal common law of public nuisance. The suit also alleges a conspiracy by some defendants to mislead the public regarding the causes and consequences of global warming. The residents of Kivalina are among the nation's poorest people.
Colleen Swan, tribal administrator of Kivalina, said, ''The campaign of deception and denial about global warming must stop.'' She added, ''Global warming and its effects are a reality we have to deal with. People's lives are in danger because of it.
Official reports from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Government Accountability Office have found that Kivalina is directly harmed by global warming and must relocate at an expense that could cost $400 million or more.'' A tiny and impoverished Alaskan village of Inupiat Eskimos located in the Arctic Circle, Kivalina, filed a lawsuit March 4 against ind... more -
Situation in Gaza at its 'worst since 1967'
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has hit a 40 year low, reportedly the worst it's been since Israel seized power in 1967. According to the results of a new study conducted by a coalition of eight British-based human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Save the Children, "more than 80 per cent of Gaza's 1.1 million population are now dependent on food aid. Unemployment has risen to 40 per cent after around 70 per cent of the 110,000 workers employed in the private sector lost their jobs." These groups have called on Israel to end its blockade of Gaza and for both sides to stop cease cross-border attacks.
The past week has been filled with a spate of Israeli raids, leaving more than 120 Palestinians dead. A spokesperson for UK Amnesty International upheld the right of Israel to protect its citizens but at the same time also has a legal responsibility as the occupying power to supply the people of Gaza with food, water, electricity and medical care. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has hit a 40 year low, reportedly the worst it's been since Israel seized power in 1967. According to ... more -
Humanitarian crisis in Somalia
UNICEF fears that 2008 could be the worst-ever year for Somalia’s 4 million children. Malnutrition is above the emergency threshold and increasing.
UNICEF’s appeal for $48 million for its 2008 programs has yet to receive any contributions. At least half the 110 nutritional feeding programs will have to close by the end of March unless new funds arrive immediately.
UNICEF is urgently seeking $5.8 million to treat children at risk in Somalia.
UNICEF fears that 2008 could be the worst-ever year for Somalia’s 4 million children. Malnutrition is above the emergency threshold an... more -
"The Israeli side is doing its best to steal every joyful moment in our lives."
When the story broke it seemed to be light news that Israel cut the power in Gaza, a mere after thought on news broadcasts and a page four item in the news papers. Shrouded in the news of the Palestinians pouring into Egypt, discussion of what life has become in a blacked out Palestine has finally started to grow.
With such little mention of it, it became easy to not consider what was, and still is happening there. The blockade set up by Israel has been cynically designed to affect the lives of people in Gaza in a profound and negative way. 72 people have now reportedly died as a result of not being able to get the correct treatment because of blockades and power outages.
For a real understanding of what it is like to live inside Gaza under an Israeli regime then read this article, a rare beacon of reality shining through the clouds of dust which keep us all from the real issue. What is happening is nothing short of an political hate crime and a humanitarian crisis, it needs to end, and someone needs to be held accountable. When the story broke it seemed to be light news that Israel cut the power in Gaza, a mere after thought on news broadcasts and a page ... more
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Humanitarian Crisis
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Humanitarian Crisis
