Middle East News
Dying children among Palestinians trapped in Iraqi border camps: UN
Jun 26, 2007, 10:15 GMT
Geneva - Children in need of urgent medical care were among more than 1,400 Palestinian refugees still stranded on the Iraqi- Syrian border after fleeing Baghdad, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said Tuesday.
Two children needed cancer treatment, one young man was about to lose a leg because of a blood disorder, and another needed lifesaving surgery for a hole in his heart, UNHCR medical teams found on a visit to the al-Waleed camp.
Canada was the only country so far to have responded to appeals to accept the refugees, none of whom felt they could return to Baghdad.
'We seem to be a voice in the wilderness that nobody is listening to,' said UNHCR spokeswoman Jennifer Pagonis. 'Conditions for these refugees are deteriorating by the day.'
It was impossible to provide proper medical care in the snake- and scorpion-infested border camp without proper access to clean water, sanitation and shelter.
Last week a group of armed men had demanded supplies from the refugees.
UNHCR repeated appeals to the international community to help the 15,000 Palestinians still left in Iraq.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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Older Talkback
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We could also build some nuclear power plants.
We could all visit a Muslim community today and watch them stone some poor women in the streets for reisisting becoming the fourth wife of some misogynistic man. We could watch another women wear a burkha in 120 degree heat or she would be stoned to death too. Visiting the Muslim world is like time travelling back in human history ten or twelve centuries. It is novel to see the barbarianism the West has left behind.
I am a US Marine that served in Waleed. These people arnt monsters, they are just people trying to survive in a country where no one will help them. They were kicked from Palestine by the Israelis, and then they were kicked out of Baghdad by the Mahdi army. Dont judge the middle east as a whole if youve never been there. Ever been to Qatar? Kuwait? They are both beautiful and civilized countries. Iraq unfortunately isnt one of these. The reason the Muslim world wont help them is because Muslims do not like Palestinians. Thats straight from the mouth of the camp elder in Waleed. These people have no home, no country and no future. There lives are in the hands of the UN and a handful of US Marines. The future doesnt look good for them.
thats great Dave, and we can have the Middle Eastern ppl come over to the West to see preists molest young boys and get away with it.
RE:'The reason the Muslim world wont help them is because Muslims do not like Palestinians.'
But the Palestinians are Muslims! What gives? The Muslim leaders constantly cry about how the Palestinians are SO mistreated. Well look who's mistreating them now. Oh, that's right. They've been mistreating them for decades, haven't they?
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NoharnessJun 26th, 2007 - 10:24:59
So where are the Saudis or the Kuwaitis on this one, hmm? Aren't these their displaced Muslim Brothers? Why isn't Bashar Al Assad doing something for them? Are we to believe that he can work a deal with his oil-rich brethren to help these poor children?
For that matter, why aren't the Saudis doing something to help calm things down in Iraq instead of fomenting trouble? Could it be that it is trouble that they want? It sure looks like it to me.
Here we have yet another argument to stop buying eastern crude. The current system of energy supply is becoming our undoing. Damn what the bankers want. Damn what the oil companies want. Don't wait for some shiny new future tech to be here real soon now, just do what we can right here, right now. That means we convert over to diesel engines. We can do that much today and it is a healthy start.
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