WHERE DO THE REFUGEES GO FOR HELP?
Being a refugee in Africa is double trouble. Or how
do you explain the state in which the people who are
supposed to protect them turn to be the tormentors?
A research done recently by the United Nations High
Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in conjuction with
Save the Child found that Aid workers in West Africa
were serxually exploting the refugees so as to provide
for them services such as food and favours.
Over 40 aid agencies and 67 individuals were
implicated in the scandal. The individuals were mostly
local staff. The findings of this survey were similar
to other allegations by refugees in the UNHCR Nairobi
office that the staff there demanded bribes before
serving the refugees.
The UNHCR has drawn up remedial measures following the
report but the damage has already been done to the Aid
organisations and mostly to the refugees. Where are
they supposed to go and seek help? Has our society
become this immoral and inconsiderate to the less
fortunate? Why do we have to give them fish when they
have asked for bread?
Aid agencies are mandated by the 1951 Geneva Refugee
Convention to ensure the basic human rights of
vulnerable persons and refugees are protected. This
includes providing them with things like food, water
and other essential services they may need.
Aid agencies are supposed to protect refugees,
especially the elderly, women and children, who are
often vulnerable to violence. Staff in the Aid
agencies are supposed to protect refugees from assault
like rape. However, we see a case where the protector
turns to be the offender. Whereas they are supposed to
prevent such cases from happening, they are
encouraging them which puts their work in question.
It is worth noting that the UNHCR has put measures to
prevent the scandal but this is in doubt as its
spokesman Ron Redmond said that the accusations are
not substantiated. Does this mean all those
interviewed were making up stories? I don’t think so.
Do the Aid agencies in West Africa really care about
the refugees? If they did, they could have sought
counseling services for the refugees at their own cost
and punish the workers found guilty. It is traumatic
for the refugees to see their tormentors being amongst
them. It will be hard to tell that refugee the
importance of the Aid agencies in solving any
humanitarian crisis.
It is surely an uphill task for the agencies to
consider in their work. It calls for an overhaul of
the people sent to cater for the displaced and they
need to be monitored in their work. Mere window
dressing will not help.
for more information check www.savethechildren.org
ENDS

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