Turkey Urges Israel to End Humanitarian Tragedy in Gaza

By Brandon Kaufman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

ANKARA, Turkey– On Friday, Turkey urged Israel to end the “humanitarian tragedy” taking place in Gaza, saying ties between the two allies cannot recover if Palestinians continue to suffer and peace talks continue to stall in the Middle East.

Turkey’s Foreign Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, told reporters that “Ending the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza; reviving peace efforts both on the Palestinian and Syrian track; and most importantly reinstating a prevailing spirit of peace in the region… this is what he want.”  He further added that “when there is a return to the track of peace, these relations of trust with Israel will be established on the same level as before.”

Davutoglu said that Israel’s war in Gaza at the turn of the year “killed the peace perspective” in the Middle East.  He further commented that the ongoing turmoil in the Palestinian territories is at the heart of the bilateral complications between Turkey and Israel.

In his comments to reporters, Davutoglu made it clear that Ankara was still bitter that the war in Gaza disrupted indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria; talks which Turkey had mediated “with so much effort.”

Davutoglu also flatly rejected assertions that the government in Ankara is becoming anti-Israeli.  “The humanitarian situation in Gaza should be improved in the shortest possible time.  How can wanting this amount to being anti-Israeli?  This is a humanitarian attitude,” he said.  Davutoglu further added that “although no single rocket has been fired on Gaza from Israel over the past eight months, children in Gaza have no schools to go to, and people have no homes to take shelter in.”

Earlier in the week, Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister said that “Relations between Turkey and Israel have always been strong.  We have full confidence that they will always remain strong.”  Israel’s Prime Minister echoed similar statements this week saying that he hopes Turkish policy will be towards “strengthening peace.”

The Palestinian struggle for statehood enjoys broad ranging support in Turkey and so many wonder whether Turkey’s stance is a political one or whether it is grounded in the humanitarian objectives they outlined above.

For more information, please see:

Daily Star Lebanon- Turkey Tells Israel to End Gaza “Humanitarian Tragedy”- 17 October 2009

Tehran Times- Turkey Tells Israel to End “Tragedy”- 17 October 2009

Saudi Gazette- End Gaza Tragedy Turkey Tells Israel– 16 October 2009

Horn of Africa in Danger When El Nino Hits

By Kylie M Tsudama
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

ISIOLO, Kenya – According to UNICEF, the United Nations Children Fund, the number of children in the Horn of Africa that are starving is rising at an alarming rate.

Five million children under the age of five are suffering from malnutrition in six countries, including Kenya.  The latest UNICEF estimates said that these children are suffering as a result of the food shortage due to a prolonged drought and of the Somali conflict.

According to a statement made by UNICEF, in the past five months the number of children that need emergency food assistance has risen nearly one million in number.

“Unicef estimates that for the whole of 2009 some 500,000 children under five will suffer from life-threatening severe malnutrition.  For countries such as Kenya it is the fourth consecutive failed rainy season in a row.  The dry spell already led to enormous losses in livestock, increases in food prices and severe water shortages,” said the statement.

Food aid and humanitarian assistance are estimated to be given to 24 million people in Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and parts of Uganda, according to the UN.  This number is up from 20 million earlier this year.

The area is anticipating that rains from El Nino will cause flooding in parts of the region which will contribute to more water-borne illnesses and crop failures.  The disappearance of vegetation is expected to worsen the effects of flooding.

“More than 23 million people in pastoral, agricultural and sub-urban communities, as well as internally displaced people and refugees in the region, are reeling from the impact of water and food shortages, pasture scarcity, conflict and insecurity,” said Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Human Affairs John Holmes.  “While we cannot prevent these climatic shocks, we certainly can mitigate their disastrous effects through forward planning and the right funding from the donor community.”

The humanitarian community is undertaking flood contingency planning but due to financial constraints and humanitarian access issues, the OCHA has encouraged the international community to “increase their support” and to draw lessons from the past and be prepared and proactive in response to an emergency.

For more information, please see:

Relief Web – Horn of Africa Alert – October 2009 – 16 October 2009

UNICEF – Food and Nutrition Insecurity Deepens in the Horn of Africa as Heavy Rains Predicted – 16 October 2009

UN News Centre – Stricken by Drought, the Horn of Africa Readies for Expected Flooding – 16 October 2009

Daily Nation – 5m Children in Africa Starving – 15 October 2009

Embargo Ordered on Guinea Due to Atrocities

By Jennifer M. Haralambides
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

ABUJA, Nigeria – West African nations have ordered an arms embargo on Guinea and accused the military government of carrying out “atrocities” and “mass human rights violations” during an anti-government protest last month.

This violence stems from the growing criticism of junta leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara who seized power in December.  In September, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condemned atrocities” in which Guinean troops opened fire on civilians during an opposition rally at a stadium in the capital city Conakry.

Human rights groups estimated that 157 people died.  Although the junta puts the toll at 57 saying that the victims were trampled to death rather than shot.  Human rights groups also say that soldiers raped and sexually abused women during the crackdown.  The International Criminal Court (ICC) has recently opened an investigation regarding the deaths.

The European Union has called for Captain Camara to be tried for crimes against humanity and the African Union has called for him to step down.  Leaders with the regional bloc have expressed concern that Guinea’s political crisis is at risk of destabilizing the region.

The ECOWAS chairman, Nigerian President Umaru Yar’adua was called on to take “all necessary measures” to obtain the support of the African Union, European Union and United Nations to enforce an embargo on Guinea.  At a special meeting on Saturday Camara faced an African Union deadline to give a written pledge by midnight Saturday not to run in the upcoming polls.

On Friday, France urged its nationals to leave the country claiming the security situation in Guinea had worsened since the September protests.  Sources say that Criminals have been following travelers from the airport and then robbing them when they arrive home.

Justin Morel Junior, Guinean Information Minister, wrote to Captain Camara explaining that he no longer had the moral strength to be the government’s spokesman.

For more information, please see:

Reuters – France Welcomes Arms Embargo on Guinea – 18 October 2009

AFP – Guinea Junta Names Team to Probe Massacre Decree – 17 October 2009

BBC – Guinea Embargo Over “Atrocities” – 17 October 2009

Reuters – West African Leaders Impose Arms Embargo on Guinea – 17 October 2009

VOA – West African States Order Arms Embargo on Guinea – 17 October 2009

Activist Detained for Speaking Out Against Eviction


By Megan E. Dodge
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China – Almost one year ago Liang Liwan gave information to Yves Cabannes, head contact of the United Nations Advisory Group on Forced Evictions. The result of her outreach was imprisonment.

A Chinese human rights group reports that Liwan has been in police custody since September 23, 2009 based on her attempt to contact officials within the United Nations regarding forced eviction and demolition in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. It was also reported that on October 3, Liwan was moved to an undisclosed location thereby leaving her family with no knowledge of her whereabouts or wellbeing.   

Liang’s imprisonment is based on information she conveyed to the United Nations Advisory Group on Forced Evictions in 2008 making them aware of the impending demolition of her home and several others by the local government. Following her contact with the United Nations, Liang’s husband was seriously injured in a beating by thugs in December of 2008.

In mid-August 2009, a conference was held at the School of Public Management of Zhejiang University, where Liang spoke about social problems facing ordinary Chinese citizens with personal antidotes to discuss along with her research. The United Nations informant Liang reached out to, Yves Cabannes, attended the conference. The event was organized by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, a German foundation, the Centre Marc Bloch, a German social sciences research institution, and the Zhejiang University.

After the conference, Liang invited Cabannes and others to see the site of her home, which is being requisitioned by the government for expansion of the city’s East Railway Station. Liang gave them a tour of her home and while showing conference attendees her house, the police arrived and took Cabannes and others to the local police substation for questioning. Liang escaped and returned to the outskirts of Beijing to her temporary home, which she was renting while petitioning the government.

According to Amnesty International, sources say that on September 22, 2009, three men and one woman forced their way into Liang’s temporary home and attempted to force her to sign an agreement for the demolition. Liang refused. Liang was then detained in Beijing by officials and security police belonging to the city of Hangzhou. It is also reported that police may have threatened Liang’s husband stating that they were detaining his wife. 

It was then that Liang was taken to Hangzhou on September 27 and detained at two different locations before being transferred to an undisclosed location on October 3.

Human rights activists are concerned that Liang’s case is sadly one of millions of Chinese citizens who have been forcibly displaced by local governments across China in recent years.

For more information, please see:

Human Rights in China – Activist Detained After Telling UN Expert of Impending Eviction  – October 7, 2009 

United Nations – World Report 2009 – China – January 14, 2009

Center on Housing Rights & Evictions – Forced Evictions – Violations of Human Rights – Report 2007.

ActionAid Report States Many in India Hungry


By Michael E. Sanchez
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

 

NEW DELHI, India– In a development charity’s report released to coincide with UN World Food Day; countries such as India and China have been praised for their efforts to tackle hunger.  However the ActionAid International’s “anti-hunger scorecard”, which ranks government efforts to combat hunger, critiques India, amongst other countries for their inaction in attempting to alleviate the problem of providing the “Right to Adequate Food” to their people.  This report ranks 51 countries where ActionAid has a presence or has data reliable enough to make comparisons.

The ‘Right to Adequate Food’ comes from the UN’s International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.  The right to adequate food is a human right for all, to have regular and permanent access, either directly or by financial means to adequate and sufficient food.  

The study estimates that globally one billion people are malnourished, which roughly represents one in seven of the world’s population.  The report criticizes the economically liberal India.  It states the ranks of the hungry have swelled by 30 million people since the mid-1990s, with nearly half of children in the country being under weight, placing it at number 22 after countries such as Ethiopia and Lesotho.  The study also reveals a contrast in the country where although India was ranked in the top three developing countries on the social protection indicator, many have gone hungry as a result of “poor implementation.”  India ranks sixth in developing nations in legal framework for addressing hunger and food rights, but the poor implementation of these laws and schemes has made it futile and difficult for the common man to have a right to adequate food.  Babu Matthew, director of ActionAid India said “The dark side of India’s economic growth has been that the excluded groups have been further marginalized, compounding their hunger, malnutrition and even leading to starvation deaths.”

The report notes the reason hunger in India exists is not because there is not enough food, but the population does not have access to it, and the exploitation of natural resources has led to “horrific displacement” of people, making many in the country poverty stricken.  Anne Jellema, the international policy director for ActionAid stated “It is the role of the state and not the level wealth, that determines progress on hunger.”  

Jellema also implored that “Massive and urgent support to poor farmers, and social welfare programmes for vulnerable groups, are needed to reverse growing global hunger. At the World Food Summit next month, donor countries need to announce an additional 23 billion dollars to support these measures.”

For information, please see:

BBC News-Mixed Messages in Hunger Report– 16 October 2009

Kaiser Family Foundation- World Food Day Marked, ActionAid International Releases Hunger Report– 16 October 2009

Hindustan Times- Half of India’s Children Malnourished, say NGO Report-17 October 2009

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations- Right to Food