Global Slavery Index Ranks Haiti Second

By Brandon Cottrell 
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America 

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – According to the Global Slavery Index, released Thursday by the Walk Free Foundation, an anti-slavery charity, Haiti ranks among the countries with the highest prevalence of slavery.  Of the 162 countries ranked by the Index, Haiti had the second highest proportion of slaves, behind Mauritania, a western African nation.

This map shows the percentage of the population of countries based on the Global Slavery Index; 2.1% of Haiti’s population is enslaved (Photo Courtesy Washington Post)

In addition, the top ten countries on the Global Slavery Index account for three quarters of the 29.8 million people currently living in slavery.  India, which has a slave population of over 14 million people, has the greatest slave population.

The United States came in 134th, with an estimated slave population of 60 thousand.

Kevin Bales, one of the authors of the Index, when asked why slavery continues to persist, said that, “the reasons varied from country to country, but one constant was that it remained a hidden problem.”  He hopes that that the Index will provide “a bit of a wake up call” to the world’s governments.

The Index used reports from governments and non-profit organizations, as well as statistical estimates in making its determinations and considered a range of practices including forced labor, bonded labor, human trafficking, forced marriages, and the use of children in the military.  It draws on over ten years of research and claims to contain the most authoritative data on slavery conditions.

In Haiti 2.1% of the population, or 1 of every 48 people, are enslaved.  Most of the slaves, however, are children.  One in ten children are “trapped” in a system of child labor and are referred to as “restavecs.”  They serve families that they are sent to and are generally responsible for preparing meals, fetching water from wells, cleaning, doing laundry and emptying bedpans.  Generally, they sleep on the floor, are up at dawn and are often subject to physical and sexual abuse.  Many run away but according to the report they are often “trafficked into forced begging and commercial sexual exploitation.”

The Walk Free Foundation represents Australian billionaire Andrew Forrest’s commitment to preventing global slavery.  Other global leaders such as former U.S. Secretary Hillary Clinton, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates are involved in the Foundation.

Clinton acknowledged that the study was not perfect but she hopes that it “urge[s] leaders around the world to view this index as a call to action, and to stay focused on the work of responding to this crimes.”

For more information, please see:

Associated Press – Mauritania, Haiti Top New Global Slavery Index – 16 October 2013

CNN – India, China, Pakistan, Nigeria On Slavery’s List Of Shame, Says Report – 17 October 2013

USA Today – Mauritania, Haiti Top New Global Slavery Index – 17 October 2013

Washington Post – Worldviews – 17 October 2013

SNHR: Syrian IDPs and refugees…. over 9.5 million Syrian citizens between refugees and IDPs

Prepared by Syrian Network for Human Rights

ARTICLE 33 of THE REFUGEE CONVENTION, 1951

PROHIBITION OF EXPULSION OR RETURN

1. No Contracting State shall expel or return (‘refouler’) a refugee in any manner whatsoever to the frontiers of territories where his life or freedom would be threatened on account of his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.

I- IDPs:

The number of IDPs within Syrian territories blatantly exceed the limits that can be controlled by relief organizations and local committees, where they were increased (according to the last SNHR’s statistics issued at the beginning of November 2012) from 4 million IDPs to at least 6.395 million IDPs by the end of September.

Children below 18 years old constitute 45% of IDPs population, almost 208 million IDPs children.  The main cause of displacement is the widespread destruction of buildings.  According to the last SNHR’s statistic, almost 2.9 million buildings have been destroyed, including 800 thousand buildings that were completely destroyed.  The other main reason is the fear of of being raped by security forces, army and Shabiha militia during the raids.

We must state that most of the displaced people are in need of urgent humanitarian aid, but 60%, 4.5 million displaced people, need aid in food.  This is the real danger.

The number of Palestinian refugees inside Syrian territories is almost 650 thousand; 75% of them, 487 thousand, are displaced inside the Syrian territory.

Most of the IDPs in the past months were from Damascus countryside and Aleppo due to the expansion of the random shelling by Scud missiles, MIG, TNT.

According to an SNHR member, and as an example: occupancy ratio for residents in some neighborhoods reached less than 4%, the rest have fled out of fear for their lives and their children’s lives.

The Damascus countryside topped the list, where the number of displaced people exceed 1.8 million, most of them from Daria city and East Ghouta in Doma, and Harasta particularly, which is almost empty.

In Homs; Old city besieged neighborhoods and others such as: Qusor, Baba Amro and Jort Alshaiah neighborhoods are totally empty cause of mass destruction, where some buildings razed to the ground.

South Neighborhoods of the capital Damascus was the highest in displacement cause of the widespread and systematic destruction in these neighborhoods.

Distribution of IDPS in the Syrian governorate, according to the last survey conducted by SNHR is as follows:

Damascus countryside: 2 million

Aleppo: 1.6 million

Homs: 1.1 million

Dier ez-Zoor: 380 thousand

Lattakia: 325 thousand

Hama: 280 thousand

Daraa: 250 thousand

Idlib: 180 thousand

Damascus: 160 thousand

Hasaka: 120 thousand

Raqqa is considered as one of the most embracing governorates of  IDPs, where at least 1.4 million displaced people come from Aleppo and Idlib governorate, followed by the city of Damascus with at least 700 thousand displaced most of them from East Ghouta city (mostly from Daria and Doma), then Hama governorate with almost 650 thousand displaced most of them from Homs governorate as Rastan and Talbisa and Homs neighborhood that almost razed to the ground as Baba Amro and Qusor, finally Swidaa governorate with at least 300 thousand displaced most of them from Daraa governorate and few from West Ghouta of Damascus.

Displaced people suffer extremely difficult living situations and humanitarian conditions, according to dozens of interviews via Skype and phone with people displaced, many of them expressed  strong indignation for the deterioration of the Arab and international attention, especially that most of them their homes almost entirely destroyed, and vast numbers of them lost their jobs and business and become dependent on others, where there are hundreds of families lost their breadwinner either killed or arrested by the Syrian Government forces, so they lost the source of livelihood, and now are likely to die not just because of shelling but even because of hunger and cold.

Warning and International Emergency Appeal:

According to the above mentioned, and under the insistence of  the UN to deal with the Syrian governorate, and give money and assistance directly to it as an official hand and refusing to deal with national relief organization, so Syrian-regime loyal areas receive nearly all of it, and fail to distribute donations to those in need.  Human suffering blatantly continues.

Syrian Government prevented relief organizations around the world from operating in its territory, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, according to their recent statement.

Now the winter comes, predicted to be one of the coldest winters in Syria and surrounding areas since almost 100 years ago (according to many weather reports).  Epically in the northern Syrian regions and Homs governorate, Syrian Network for Human Rights launches an Emergency Appeal all around the world that thousands of families in Syria is threatened by disease, hunger, cold and even death, Syrian Government first, and then International committee and humanitarian organization most hold their responsibilities, where It is impossible for the local national organization to hold this great burden that need urgent and immediate assistance and on an international level.

================

 II- Refugees

The number of refugees has risen.  Hundreds of thousands have fled abroad the country due to the massive destruction, daily shelling, and rise in rape cases committed by Security forces and Shabiha (militiamen). Women and children have fled in masses because of this, constitute almost 85% of refugees, including almost 50% children, 35% women and 15% men .

The main problem facing Syrian refugees is that most of them don’t have identification documents, so the refugee can’t perform most transactions such as travel, treatment, study, or even move without it.

The statistics issued by the United Nations does not represent the real numbers of refugees, because it recognizes only those registered with the UNHCR, but the true that there are tens of thousands were not able to register at the UNHCR, so there’s a big difference between SNHR’s estimation and the United Nations estimations.

The total number of Syrian-citizen refugees according to the latest statistic conducting by SNHR is at least 3.150 million Syrian refugees:

Children: 1.6 million children below 18 years

Women: exceeded 900.000 women

Most of them are not registered as refugees and therefore are not mentioned in statistics, because many of them have been smuggled via roads and paths across the border for fear of expel, other received by their relatives or friends, but according to The international legal definition of the term refugee, they considered refugees, distributed on the following neighboring as follows:

Lebanon topped the list in refugee reception, where thousands fled to as an impact of sectarian cleansing operation in Banyas, Baiyda, and the harsh battles in the western countryside of Homs in Qusayier and neighbored.

Lebanon: 820,000 refugees; including 375.000 children, and at least 150.000 women, 27% (almost 230.000) without identification documents.

Turkey: 785.000 including 200.000 children, and at least 120.000 women, 62% (almost 487.000) without identification documents.

Jordan: 730.000 including 250.000 children, and at least 185.000 women, 36% (almost 263.000) without identification documents.

Iraq: 415.000 including 160.000 children, and at least 50.000 women, the proportion of asylum to Iraq in the recent months have risen following the clashes in north-eastern regions of Syria, where Kurdistan Iraq received tens of thousands of Syrian refugees.

Egypt: 270.000 including 120.000 children, and at least 75.000 women, the treatment of Syrian refugees has worsened after the military coup in Egypt, which resulted in the expulsion of at least 3,000 Syrian refugees arbitrarily and without regard to any rights for Syrian refugees, many of them women and children, and there are a large number of cases had been expelled without allowing her even to carry her bags.

Arab Maghreb states: Libya, Algeria, and Morocco: 40.000

EU countries: Estimated number of Syrian refugees by 750.000, just 40.000 of them got asylum.

Swedden topped the EU countries with almost 16.000 refugees, followed by Germany with almost 8.000, then Germany 7.000, and the rest other countries.

US, Canada, and South America 15.000 Syrian refugees.

Relief organizations can reach and help refugees in neighboring countries, but although we note serious dereliction of their human rights, particularly in Jordan and Lebanon, where Governments are unable because of poverty to meet the requirements of Syrian people refugees, where it is the responsibility and mission of Relief organizations around the world, and this is the time for immediate and sooner intervention.

================

Recommendations

1- Security council:

– Pressure the Syrian Government to allow the delivery of humanitarian assistance across its borders.

– Support the efforts of  the United Nation to coordinate and provide humanitarian assistance to those in need, including armed opposition- held areas.

2- Concerned governments and Intergovernmental organizations:

– Call on the Syrian government and armed opposition to implement the above mentioned recommendations.

– Respond more effectively to the humanitarian crisis that caused millions of Syrians to face a severe shortfall of food, shelter, fuel, health care and education, by working to increase the supply of humanitarian assistance to the affected people in Syria, both in areas controlled by the opposition or the Government, as well as the provision of assistance to internally displaced persons and refugees.

– Urge the members of the Security Council to call on the Syrian government to allow humanitarian aid, and apply of public pressure on the Syrian government to agree to deliver aid across the border.

– Expansion in the quantity and frequency of cross-border humanitarian aid by all hands that can carry out the aid deliverers, which are often the only source of hundreds of thousands of families.

Egypt Unlawfully Detaining and Deporting Hundreds Of Syrian Refugees: Amnesty International Says

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan

Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt–Amnesty International has accused the Egypt government of unlawfully detaining and deporting hundreds of Syrian refugees, including women and children, who had fled their homes to escape the violence in Syria. .

Refugees housed in an overcrowd cell demonstrating unlawful detention of Syrian refugees in Egypt. (Photo Courtesy of Amnesty International)

The Syrian civil war has uprooted approximately 7 million people since the uprising began in March 2011. More than 100,000 Syrians have been killed since the start of the conflict and more than 2 million Syrians have fled their homes and sought refuge in neighbouring countries.

Quoting UNHCR, the United Nations agency for refugees, Amnesty said 946 people had been arrested by Egypt while attempting the crossing, and that 724 remained in detention. According to Amnesty the Egyptian navy has intercepted around 13 boats in the Mediterranean carrying refugees from Syria. The refugees were attempting to reach and seek refuge in Europe. According to Amnesty International 12 people drowned after a boat carrying Syrian refugees capsized off the cost of Alexandria.

Sherif Elsayed Ali, Amnesty’s head of refugee and migrants’ rights, said in a statement on Thursday that; “Instead of offering vital help and support to refugees from Syria, the Egyptian authorities are arresting and deporting them, flouting human rights standards.” He said the Egyptian state had failed to “meet its international obligations to protect even the most vulnerable refugees.”

Refugees detained by Egyptian forces must decide between accepting deportation or accepting prolonged, indefinite and unlawful detention in Egypt. Lawyers told Amnesty International that in at least two instances refugees were collectively deported back to Damascus, Syria, which would constitute a violation of international law, Non-refoulement prohibits the deportation of persecuted persons back to the state that is violating their human rights. “Sending refugees back to a bloody conflict zone is a serious violation of international law. Refugees who have fled are at an obvious risk of human rights abuses,” said Sherif Elsayed Ali.

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Amnesty International’s report was “inaccurate and does not reflect the reality of [Syrians’] situation in the country” and said “There is no policy of deportation of our Syrian brothers and the vast majority of them live in peace.” However Egypt has recently began to require Syrians and other foreign nationals to acquire visas from Egyptian consulates aboard before entering the country.

The Egyptian media has accused Syrian refugees of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and has even accused refuges of being involved in the violence that occurred after President Mohamed Morsi was removed from power in Egypt. Popular media outlasts have accused Syrian refugees of attacking Egyptian civilians and security forces and of participating in the Rabaa El Adawiya and Al-Nahda sit-ins, which began in June and were brutally broken up by Egyptian authorities on August 14.

The anti-Syrian refugee propaganda heard over Egyptian airwaves is being felt by Egyptian refugees in the streets of Egypt’s cities; one Syrian refugee, whose family is living in a neighbourhood of 6 October City, outside Cairo, said her children cannot play outside anymore because “they are cursed by the other kids, told really bad words.”

For more information please see:

Al Jazeera – Egypt Accused of Unlawfully Detaining Syrians – 17 October 2013

Amnesty International – Egypt: End Deplorable Detention And Deportation Of Refugees From Syria – 17 October 2013

Amnesty International – We Cannot Live Here Anymore’: Refugees From Syria In Egypt – 17 October 2013

Huffington Post – Egypt Unlawfully Detains Syrian Refugees, Including Children, Amnesty International Says – 17 October 2013