News

The untold story of Syria’s smallest victims: The “bucket children”

November 15, 2014

By: Ashley Repp

News Desk Reporter, Middle East

East Ghouta-Syria

In an area the UN has declared one of the most dangerous places on earth, roam young Syrians carrying pots and pails. They are called Syria’s “bucket children,” and as their world, safety, and health deteriorate around them, these youngsters will roam up to 15 kilometers a day in a desperate search for scraps of food; anything edible to get them, and their families, by for another day. After the war sufficiently devastated the East Ghouta area in 2012, little food has made its way to the markets. With few survival options, despairing parents send their children out in groups to search for scraps. And while many of these children smile for photos, and enjoy a sense of comradery as they search for food together, their situation is dire.

The psychological and developmental implications of homelessness, war, and hunger, are incredibly grave. The bucket children suffer from severe malnutrition in many cases, and while they endlessly search for food, their brains become trained to focus solely on hunger and finding sustenance. As a result, psychologists concede that most of these children will have serious developmental delays and will struggle to concentrate on quite tasks, including reading and writing. The devastating impact malnutrition has on development and cognitive ability cannot be overstated, and the longer malnutrition continues, the more irreversible and serious the effects are on brain and physical development.

The bucket children are also exposed to serious dangers to their person when they venture out onto the streets to search for food. The children are often sexually assaulted or physically abused while out on their search. They are also exposed to sniper fire and crossfire. Death and injury become part and parcel of the fight for survival on the war torn streets.

Further compounding the issues of food shortage, is the difficulty many NGO and IGO organizations have in obtaining permission from the Syrian government to enter the country and distribute food and supplies to those in most serious need. It is nearly impossible for these organizations to have any impact, and many are ready and willing to help these bucket children and their families. And while aide waits at the door for permission to enter Syria, the dire conditions in which these children live deteriorate further with each passing day, as the war rages on around them. Without access to food and safety, most of these children do not have promising fates, and many will die as they struggle to survive another day, buckets in hand.

For more information, please visit:

Al Jazeera- Syria’s bucket children desperate for aide– 10 Nov., 2014

UNICEF- Syria Children’s Appeal

NBC- Hungry, homeless, helpless, Syria’s children know too much about war

Save the Children- Help and hope for Syria’s children and refugees

Pirate attacks in the Niger Delta; Government left to pay over $131 million in ransoms

November 15, 2014

By: Ashley Repp

News Desk Reporter, Africa

Abuja, Nigeria-

Though the international community began to associate piracy with the waters off of the coast of Somalia, the piracy practice is even more rampant off of the coast of West Africa. And while world piracy rates have largely fallen throughout most of the world, recently, the number of attacks on ships near Nigeria has increased. In the final days of last month, two attacks in the same week sent shock waves through the Niger delta region, and intelligence suggests that rate of attacks is likely to continue to rise, as elections are coming up. Intelligence sources assert that election time will likely contribute to increased rates of pirate attacks in the region, particularly because many of those campaigning will procure support and funds from illegal sources. In order to generate some of these funds, piracy will come into play as an economic resource.

In the two recent October attacks, over a dozen people were abducted, several were killed. In one of the attacks, the primary target was the gun boat, as it had a store of arms. In both of these cases, the pirates had more fire power than the police forces, and easily overpowered security. Furthermore, the ships were both oil company ships, which are typical pirate targets. In recent decades, piracy rose with rise of oil production in the Niger Delta, and then fell again. In fact, until the past few years, pirate attacks occurred on an almost basis. Many seafarers and security in the region are concerned that another spike in pirate attacks is at the doorstep of the Niger Delta, and the possibility of returning back to an era of daily pirate attacks is terrifying for many.

It is likely that the abducted men are being held as hostages. As they work for oil companies, the pirates offer equate holding these men hostages with a hefty ransom. According to the Contemporary Maritime Piracy Database, it has cost the Nigerian government and companies over $131 Million dollars in just the last three years alone to recover abducted men and pay pirate ransoms. This is no small price to pay for a government that already struggles financially, but with such high level oil drilling on Nigerian soil, piracy is likely to continue to remain a problematic and dangerous reality, not only for the government, but for those working on the ships and security boats.

For more information, please visit:

BBC News- Danger Zone: Chasing West Africa’s Pirates– 13 Nov., 2014

Times Live- Priates Hijack Gunboat, Kidnap Workers in Niger Delta– 28 Oct., 2014

Sahara Reporters- Niger Delta Pirates Seize Police Gunboat, Kill Four Policemen and Kidnap Six Oil Workers in Bayelsa– 25 Oct., 2014

gCaptain- Pirates Launch Deadly Niger Delta Attacks– 27 Oct., 2014

Russia Appears to be Repeating Crimea Tactic in Donetsk

November 12, 2014

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

KIEV, Ukraine – The already-shaky ceasefire agreed to on September 5 in Minsk, Belarus seems to be in its final days. NATO has confirmed a new Russian presence in and around Donetsk, Ukraine, following reports from the past few days of Russian tanks, troops, and supply trucks crossing the Ukrainian border after mobilizing for the past week along the Russian side of the border. As seen in Crimea, however, they all remain unmarked and without identifying insignia.

A column of unmarked tanks spotted near Donetsk, a pro-Russian stronghold. (Photo courtesy of the New York Times)

Ukrainian military officials, monitors for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and NATO have all confirmed the presence of Russian troops and various military equipment in and around Donetsk and flowing into the country. One convoy of 43 unmarked military trucks was witnessed Tuesday heading towards Donetsk. Five of the trucks were towing 120mm howitzer artillery pieces, and five others were carrying multi-launch rocket systems. A report last week reported more than 40 Russian trucks and tankers, also unmarked, and 19 of which were towing 122mm howitzers, were in Ukraine. There is an estimated 7,000 Russian troops inside Ukraine now, along with an estimated 100 Russian tanks, more than 400 armored vehicles, and more than 150 self-propelled artillery and multiple rocket launchers.

Along the border of Ukraine on the Russian side is a very alarming sight as well. According to Phillip Karber, a former Pentagon strategy advisor who has worked with the Ukrainian government, between 40,000 and 50,000 Russian troops remain just across the border, along with another 350 to 400 tanks, more than 1,000 armored vehicles, and 800 self-propelled artillery.

In a fight that has claimed over 4,000 lives, it appears that fighting may go back to pre-ceasefire numbers and could claim many more lives very shortly. Although the Russian troops, vehicles, and equipment in Ukraine are all unmarked, U.S. General and NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe Philip Breedlove states, “[t]here is no question any more about Russia’s direct military involvement in Ukraine.” Russia continues to deny any of the alleged involvement. In response, Ukrainian Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak said Ukraine will no longer pay attention to Moscow’s denials of involvement, that Ukraine is “repositioning our armed forces to respond to the actions of the fighters.”

For more information, please see:

New York Times – Russian Troops Crossing Into Ukraine, NATO Says – 12 November 2014

Reuters – Ukraine redeploys troops, fearing new rebel offensive – 12 November 2014

Time – Russia Sends More Convoys Into Ukraine as Cease-Fire Collapses – 12 November 2014

CNN – Ukraine violence flares as ceasefire collapses – 11 November 2014

Daily Beast – Thousands of Putin’s Troops Now in Ukraine, Analysts Say – 11 November 2014

U.N. Tries to Refer North Korea Human Rights Cases to ICC

November 11, 2014

By Hojin Choi
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

PYONGYANG, North Korea – Japan and the European Union circulated a draft resolution encouraging the U.N. Security Council to refer potential human rights violations in North Korea to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The draft resolution is based on a 372-page report from the U.N. Commission of Inquiry on North Korea, led by chief author, Michael Kirby, a retired Australian judge.

The report described wide-ranging human rights abuses, including torture, starvation, rape, enslavement and killing that could only be described as “extermination.” The report also highlighted prison camps, alleged to be political detention facilities holding some 120,000 individuals. The North Korean regime has vehemently denied the existence of any such facilities.

43 U.N. member-states have signed on in support of the draft resolution. The resolution will be discussed in the General Assembly’s Third Committee, which generally deals with human rights issues. While no members of the General Assembly hold a veto power, unlike the Security Council, the General Assembly does not have authority to issue legally binding orders.

This is the first time that any member-states have moved to refer the North Korea case to the ICC. The coalition was built largely on support from the United States. John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, made a bid to raise the profile of human rights issues in North Korea. The U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. presented an award to Michael Kirby in a display of gratitude and support for the draft resolution and its findings. Kirby urged the member-states to push the Security Council to refer the case to the ICC.

“The truth in this report is very concerning to the world community, and your country has to face up to it,” Kirby proclaimed.

China and Russia, two of the fifteen member-countries of the Security Council, will likely use their vetoes against any attempts to refer the case to the ICC. The Foreign Ministry Spokesperson for China, Hua Chunying, said during a daily news briefing, “we believe that for the issue of human rights, referring a case to the ICC is not helpful to improving a country’s human rights situation.”

Kirby, anticipating China’s veto, commented that “we [will] continue to [work] in hopes that China, as a great power, will act as a great power should.”

North Korea refused to admit to any of the allegations contained in the report. North Korea’s Deputy U.N. Ambassador, Jang Il-hun, said that “in my country we don’t even know the term ‘political prisoners.” He warned that North Korea would take countermeasures against any efforts to charge the leader, Kim Jong-un, with human rights violations at the ICC.

On October 15, North Korea circulated another draft resolution calling for “an end to the practice of calling into question the human rights situation of specific individual countries.” About 60 U.N. member-states attended the meeting.

Kim Song, center, of North Korean mission alleged at the United Nation’s meeting that there has been “a political conspiracy by the United States and hostile forces” (AP)

North Korea also insisted that the country has improved its human rights situation by providing a “free, compulsory educational system” and “free medical care.” It said the report was based on “wild rumors” spread by “hostile forces.”

Even though the General Assembly resolutions have almost annually criticized human rights situations in North Korea, Iran, Myanmar, and Syria, this is the first time such a resolution has recommended referral to the ICC.

For more information please see:

The New York Times – Coalition Seeks to Send North Korea to International Court Over Rights Abuses – 25 October 2014

Reuters – At U.N., China asked to back rights case against North Korea – 26 October 2014

The Korea Times – Pyongyang challenges UN’s accusation of human rights violations – 26 October 2014

Reuters – U.N. draft urges ICC referral for North Korea, but Pyongyang fights back – 9 October 2014

The New York Times – North Korea Challenges U.N. Report on Violations – 20 October 2014

Ukraine Reports Claim Russia Storms Back into Ukraine with Force

November 7, 2014

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

KIEV, Ukraine – Ukraine is reporting that Russia has entered back into Eastern Ukraine, specifically into the Luhansk region. Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council spokesman Andriy Lysenko reported at least 32 tanks, 16 artillery systems, and 30 trucks loaded with fighters and ammunition, along with three mobile radar units on trucks, crossed over from Russia into Eastern Ukraine on Thursday.

Pro-Russian rebels fire artillery at Donetsk Sergey Prokofiev International Airport. Fighting between pro-Russian rebels and pro-Kiev armed forces in Eastern Ukraine has steadily been increasing since the cease-fire began over two months ago, building up to Russia’s re-entrance into Ukraine yesterday. (Photo courtesy of CNN)

Earlier this week reports from Western nations claimed that Russia was amassing troops and military equipment on the Russian side of the Ukrainian border. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has shown “deep concern” about the new reports coming out of Ukraine, a concern that several nearby countries likely share. This increased aggression would be a direct violation of the ceasefire agreed to on September 5, would undermine the legitimacy of this truce and future possible truces, and would further worry many nations that border Russia and who have seen Russian aggression increase dramatically over the past month.

Prior to this alleged incursion and the gathering of troops along the Ukrainian border this week, Russia has also shown serious aggression towards other countries recently. There have been many flyovers of Russian military aircraft over the Baltics, Scandinavian countries, and even as far as Portugal, Canada, and Alaska. Russia abducted an Estonian border agent in Estonia and a Lithuanian fishing boat in international waters. Russia is also suspected of having sent a submarine into a Swedish bay, although that remains unconfirmed.

Fighting between pro-Russian rebels and Kiev militants has been steadily increasing over the past month over an airport in Donetsk, and over the past 24 hours alone five soldiers were killed. Andrei Purgin, the deputy prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, told a Russian news service that Ukraine launched an “all-out war” on rebel militias. Elections on Sunday in Donetsk and Luhansk to put pro-Russian rebels into political positions have also been deemed by Kiev as violations of the truce agreements.

More than 4,000 lives have already been lost this year as a result of fighting in Ukraine, many of whom were lost during increased fighting the last time Russia came into Ukraine. There is no telling how bad things could get if confirmed that Russia has indeed returned to fight in Eastern Ukraine.

For more information, please see:

ABC – Ukraine Accuses Russia of Sending Dozens of Tanks – 7 November 2014

Washington Post – Ukraine accuses Russia of major cross-border incursion to aid separatists – 7 November 2014

BBC – Ukraine crisis: Tanks ‘cross border’ from Russia – 7 November 2014

Irish Times – Ukraine accuses Russia of sending in tanks to support rebels – 7 November 2014

Deutsche Welle – Kyiv: 32 tanks enter Ukraine from Russia – 7 November 2014