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SUITCASE OR COFFIN?
For an Irish person reading that seemingly-crass phrase, the coffin ship comes to mind.
But it is not the 1800s we are discussing here. Médecins San Frontieres/Doctors without Borders (MSF) used the term to describe the findings about a recent survey in the Central African Republic.
The mortality research was conducted amongst a group of more than 30,000 refugees who fled to Chad during the peak of the violent crackdown against the minority Muslim population.
The organisation discovered that 2,599 people died while undertaking the journey between November 2013 and April 2014. That is about 8% of the 32,768 people who had originally composed the 3,449 families.
The vast majority of the deaths were caused by gunshot, machete, grenade or other blast wounds.
One third of the people surveyed had lost a family member, with almost as many losing two relatives.
Among the dead were 209 children under the age of 15 and 227 men and women over 60 years old.
The journey to Chad proved fatal for 322 people who were trampled in the rush to board vehicles, suffocated in overcrowded conditions, or died during attacks perpetrated whilst the convoys were en route.
According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, between December 2013 and January 2014 several hundred thousand people fled abuse and violence in CAR, seeking refuge in neighbouring Chad and Cameroon.
Today, nearly the entire Muslim population in the western half of CAR has left the country.
Epicentre, MSF’s epidemiological research centre undertook this research to understand the levels of violence perpetrated against those who fled and their families.
“The shocking levels of violence documented in our study should not leave the impression that the worst is over,” said Dr. Mego Terzian, president of MSF.
“MSF teams continue to work inside enclaves in the Central African Republic where thousands of people remain trapped, protected by international forces, but with no chance to escape. Living conditions in these areas are very precarious. The population have few prospects and face daily threats.”
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Is that picture the face of Bad Santa or what..
WHAT ARE OUR politicians doing in the halls of Leinster House??
Depopulating the country of the undesirable people who don’t agree with them, so that come next election they will have a scared, obedient, docile, little electorate to vote them in again.
What ever Reilly!!!! You are a proven liar and who trusts a liar?
Only way we will get a decent health service is when Reilly&Co are told their private health insurance is invalid and that next time they or their families gets sick they are at the back of the queue…watch them sort it out, pronto.
All TDs and public servants should be made use public transport. Imagine the immediate efficiencies.
Ditto education.
And if you don’t like the conditions, emigrate like the rest of us. Take away their cushions.
Every time I see Chubacca’s hairy face I get this awful sinking feeling.
Given the track record to date and the utter complacency and contemptious way this sham of a government have and continue to treat the Irish prople I would not believe the Lords prayer from the mouths of any of them.
I have no confidence in them at all.
Now there’s a question, how many ministers/TD’s have private health insurance? Instead of putting their fate in the hands of public hospitals. Maybe the journal could investigate and report this? Although you will never get the answer.
if they didn’t waste so much money on being inefficient, they would be far better off! i mean, printing off letters to send to another person in the same department down the hall, waiting for 2-3 days for it to be delivered, then responded to then another letter and so on on
never heard of email no? what a complete waste of money, time and resources!
Minister Fintan Stack. :P
The lads in the pub don’t like him even when they are sober.
Source: Yann Libessart/MSF" title="">
Source: Yann Libessart/MSF" title="">
Source: Yann Libessart/MSF" title="">
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