Issue 10: March 1, 2021
Staff
Xander Starobin: Co-Editor-in-Chief, Web Design
Avery Wang: Co-Editor-in-Chief, Layout
Maya Britto: Contributor, Communications
Diya Britto: Contributor, Social Media
Jade Xiao: Contributor
Julie Chen: Contributor
Marin Theis: Contributor
In this issue...
We're sharing the experiences of an MSF nurse, and we're covering the environmental health hazards of refugee camps, a new Ebola virus outbreak in the DRC, and Greece's refugee camp conditions. We're also covering the risk monsoon season poses to Rohingya refugees.
Leah Feldman, Nurse for Doctors Without Borders, Shares Stories of Frontline Humanitarian Assistance
By Xander Starobin
Leah Feldman is a nurse for Doctors Without Borders (MSF), a nonprofit organization that provides medical responses to humanitarian crises around the globe. This month, the IHA spoke with Feldman about her experiences offering medical aid, coordination, and education to communities in crisis.
Feldman, currently living in Brussels, Belgium, works for MSF’s “emergency desk.” She explained, “there are about 10 or 15 of us in our contract who are constantly deployed to respond to natural catastrophes, civil war, and epidemics.” Before working at MSF, Feldman worked as a trauma nurse in New York. However, she indicated that MSF nurses have much more on their plate than just treating patients. Much of her work involves medical coordination and situational analysis--deciding how to adapt a medical strategy to the situation at hand. She mentioned, “we work with a very multidisciplinary team to bring about our goals, because the medical side is actually the easiest part.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has prevented Feldman from being deployed almost at all during the past year. In fact, she was scheduled to deploy in Sudan last Spring, but was turned around during her layover in Turkey. Throughout the past year, she has worked with Belgian migrants in shelters and consulted with Belgian government officials about their COVID-19 response.
Feldman has, however, worked all over the world. From the Central African Republic to Haiti to Venezuela, she remarked that her nearly two dozen missions have let her see “some of the most beautiful places in the world.” For example, in October of 2020, she worked in the Congo, traveling to villages down the Congo River in hand-dugout, motorized canoes with a team of other MSF workers to talk to the villages’ people about Ebola and infection prevention and control.
Feldman pointed out that only 10% of MSF workers like herself are international staff, and that 90% are from the country in which they work. As such, she emphasized that most of her colleagues in the field must live through the same crises they’re trying to help solve. Feldman worked in the Central African Republic in 2014 during a civil war, and she noted, “so often the [local] staff would actually have to stay at the hospital where we were working because there was too much violence and they couldn’t get home.” She later continued, “yes, 10% of us are these people who fly around and do these missions, but it's the people who live in these places who are the real force of MSF.”
Naturally, there are cultural and language-related barriers between Feldman and those with whom she works. She emphasized that it's vital to “go to a place without presumptions and without expectations.” She later continued, “at the end of the day, I’m going to do a job, and if that's put in the forefront, then we can work with people to figure out how to accomplish the common goals. You have to be open, and sure, occasionally push back.”
Similarly, the governments and policies of different nations affect how MSF operates in different regions. Most of the time, MSF works fully with governments to reach a solution to a commonly recognized problem. For example, Feldman described that the focus of one of her missions in Burundi was to coordinate with numerous officials and provide theoretical and practical training to prevent an Ebola outbreak in Eastern Congo from crossing the border. Nonetheless, MSF takes very little funding from any government, and thus, Feldman pointed out, “there have been times when we’ll go against a government because we are independent.”
“I always knew I wanted to help people,” Feldman said, remarking about why she works for MSF. She continued, “I’ve thought about going back to clinical work. I love the 1 on 1 patient care, but with what I’m doing now, I can help encourage a hundred people to save so many more people than I alone could.” Feldman described how rewarding it feels to return to a country she worked in years prior and see the initiatives that she helped build running strongly. She said that she is considering returning to school in the future to get a masters degree in epidemiology.
Lead Poisoning Threatens Greek, Kosovan Refugee Camps
By Julie Chen
On January 23, 2021, a soil sampling analysis revealed dangerously high levels of lead in the soil at the Mavrovouni refugee camp in Greece. Greece’s Ministry of Migration and Asylum confirmed in a press release that eleven of the twelve collected samples from the residential area there had lead levels below the acceptable Dutch standards of pollution with the remaining sample, a portion which was taken outside of the residential area, containing lead levels that far exceeded this limit. The same report has yet to disclose the actual test results for lead poisoning nor the exact locations of where the samples were taken.
The Mavrovouni refugee site houses 9,000 refugees and asylum seekers, and the camp contained abnormal levels of lead leftover from being operated by the Greek army for shooting practice. In response to the soil’s lead poisoning, the Ministry of Migration and Asylum indicated that they planned to further the camp’s embankment using new soil, re-gravel using new gravel, and construct a cement base in the administrative and registration areas.
However, human rights organizations, such as the Humans Rights Watch (HRW), are not satisfied with the Greek government’s response. Belkis Wille, a senior crisis and conflict researcher at HRW said in a statement, “The Greek government knowingly built a migrant camp on a firing range and then turned a blind eye to the potential health risks for residents and workers there.”
Wille further stated, “[The government] did not make the results public for over seven weeks, and has yet to allow independent experts to analyze them or vow to take the necessary steps to protect residents and workers and inform them about the potential health risks.”
According to an informational article by the World Health Organization (WHO), lead is toxic to multiple body systems, particularly in children, and is a source of exposure to developing fetuses during pregnancy. The report specifically mentions, “There is no level of exposure to lead that is known to be without harmful effects.” In a letter sent to the HRW, Notis Mitarachi, the Minister for Migration and Asylum, informs that there are roughly 2000 children living on the Mavrovouni site and 118 pregnant women.
This is not the first time that a government has responded inadequately to the health hazards refugees face. In an annual report written by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there were around 600 Balkan, Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian minorities residing in a refugee camp managed by the United Nations (UN) in Kosovo. The environment at this camp, however, was recognized as being highly toxic since the 1970s with numerous accounts of lead poisoning during 1999.
A case study by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), also found that the refugee population faced a high risk of contamination due to the close proximity of their residential spaces to the waste material. The aforementioned annual report further states that cautionary measures were not taken for residents at the camp for many years and for some, not until 2013.
Although it has been seven years since the last refugee camp in Kosovo closed down, victims are still experiencing health impacts and awaiting compensation from the government. The UN has so far implemented community assistance projects for those affected but fails to provide individual compensation to the victims of lead poisoning in the Kosovo refugee site.
In a thematic report, The Human Right to an Effective Remedy: the Case of Lead-contaminated Housing in Kosovo, written by the UNHCR, the Social Rapporteurs specify that proper compensation includes having access to information regarding the related health violations, restitution, rehabilitation, changes in relevant laws and practices, and bringing to justice the culprits of human rights violations.
Louis Charbonneau, the UN director at HRW, commented, “Dodging responsibility for the suffering of lead poisoning victims, only serves to undercut attempts to make the UN more accountable for its own failures. And in turn, refusal to take responsibility for harm caused by the UN undermines the organization's ability to press governments and others to remedy their human rights abuses.”
In both cases of lead poisoning in Greece and in Kosovo, the government poorly responds to the dire health and safety situations of refugees. Both governments’ intransparency under these circumstances and their failure to effectively support the refugee camps are still inciting harsh criticism and demands for action by numerous nongovernmental organizations like HRW. The government responses to environmental health hazards in refugee camps have yet to progress from the lead poisoning case decades ago.
New Ebola Virus Outbreak Detected in Butembo, Democratic Republic of the Congo
By Diya Britto
In June 2020, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) experienced multiple ebola virus outbreaks and its largest measles outbreak in history. The various outbreaks, along with the COVID-19 pandemic, devastated the area's large numbers of displaced people and refugees. They were left with unhealthy living conditions, and no chances to return to their host country. You can read more about the 2020 ebola virus outbreak here.
According to a report from the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) published on November 16, 2020, the UN Refugee Agency in the DRC, with assistance from multiple organizations, has helped hundreds of refugees from the Central African Republic to return and strengthen health and sanitation measures. It was the first move since the COVID-19 pandemic and ebola virus outbreaks forced border closures.
However, on February 7, 2021 the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of Congo announced a new ebola virus outbreak detected in the city of Butembo, the same place where the first ebola virus outbreak had been detected in June 2020.
According to the World Health Organization of the DRC, samples from a patient with Ebola-like symptoms confirmed the detection of the virus. The woman was the wife of an Ebola survivor, and has since died. According to a press release from the International Rescue Committee on February 15, another Ebola outbreak was declared in Guinea, emphasizing the need for swift action and direct financing to frontline aid agencies and organizations.
As Kate Moger, Regional Vice President for the Great Lakes at the IRC says, “These communities are still trying to rebuild from the impact the last Ebola outbreak had on their health systems...It is imperative we apply the lessons learned from past outbreaks to stop the spread of Ebola in both the DRC and Guinea.”
According to Mercy Corps’ Whitney Elmer, the rising number of COVID-19 cases makes this new Ebola outbreak even harder to deal with. Multiple organisations are working on how to effectively and efficiently stop the spread of both viruses.
Mercy Corps is working on educating communities on how to prevent the spread of the virus, and has reached 3.7 million people in the DRC. According to Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, Regional Director of Africa for the World Health Organization, “WHO [World Health Organization] is providing support to local and national health authorities to quickly trace, identify and treat the contacts to curtail the further spread of the virus.”
Despite the efforts organizations are making in order to properly respond to the outbreak, more people, resources, and effort is needed to solve the immense issues facing the DRC. You can help the situation by spreading awareness on social media and within your community, lobbying your congressperson, and donating to refugee organizations who are trying to improve the conditions in the DRC.
Inadequate Conditions and International Conflicts Exacerbate Refugee Conditions In Greece
By Jade Xiao
Greece currently hosts 119,700 asylum seekers and 50,000 refugees, according to data from the International Rescue Committee (IRC). With little international support, a fragile domestic economy, horrendous conditions, and the COVID-19 pandemic, Greece struggles to support the refugees.
Since 2016, immense numbers of refugees have fled the Middle East and South and Central Asia due to political and religious persecution. The refugees sought Greece as an escape from the Middle East and an entrance to other European nations. However, the European Union implemented stringent border restrictions that forced the refugees to remain in Greece. In March 2016, the European Union (EU) and Turkey formed an agreement that worsened the burden on Greece. According to a report from the IRC, the deal left over 16,000 refugees stranded on the Greek islands in refugee camps.
Greece’s unstable economy cannot handle the high demand for services such as food, clean water, sanitation, and health care. Greece suffered greatly from the Great Recession of 2008 and continues to struggle with a significant debt crisis. Greece requires financial assistance from the EU and the United States and has no adequate funds to allocate to refugee support.
According to an article from the IRC, over 38,000 refugees currently live in mainland Greece. Most struggle to financially support their families and provide housing. Refugees in urban settings live in temporary settlements funded by foreign aid organizations or remain homeless in the streets.
The camps on the islands are extremely overcrowded and unsafe. According to a report from Embrace Relief, “refugee camps have been over-flooding with displaced people who cannot return to their homes…[and] cannot simply accommodate the millions of people.” The camps lack basic sanitation and psychological support for refugees traumatized by war, violence, and abuse.
The Vathy Camp on Samos Island, according to data from Médecins Sans Frontières, has a capacity of 648 people but hosts 4,112 people as of March 2019. Vasilis Stravaridis, general director of MSF Greece, stated in a report that “more than half the camp's population is living in summer tents or under plastic sheeting, surrounded by rubbish and human excrement." Thousands more, including pregnant women, elderlys, people with chronic health conditions, and orphaned children, are left stranded outside the protection of the camp.
Moria Refugee Camp on Lesbos Island is likewise dangerously overpopulated and poorly-managed, hosting over 20,000 refugees with a 3,000 capacity; food and water supplies, housing, health care, sanitation, and mental health support are vastly inadequate and social unrest is prevalent. According to an interview from the Human Rights Watch (HRW) on March 6, 2020, Refugee and Migrant Rights Program Director Bill Frelick stated, “police are showing up in force with riot gear and batons. But when thugs set up roadblocks and threaten or assault refugees and humanitarian workers, they turn timid.”
However, authorities refused to acknowledge any mismanagement. According to Frelick, “the leaders of the EU came to Greece a few days ago and they praised the country, calling it ‘Europe’s shield.’”
In September 2020, a fire destroyed the Moria camp and left thousands homeless. The Greek government blamed the refugees for the fire and prohibited all evacuations except for unaccompanied children. In a public press meeting, Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas claimed, “some [people] do not respect the country that is hosting them” and accused that “[the refugees] thought that if they set fire to Moria they would leave the island indiscriminately.”
As COVID-19 threatens the camps, a HRW report claims that the authorities have not taken sufficient precautions. Refugees remain trapped in densely-populated and terribly-sanitized areas that are prone to the spread of the virus. While the Greek government has lifted quarantine restrictions on the rest of the country, camp restrictions have been extended, forcing the refugees to remain in unsafe conditions and preventing them from seeking labor to ameliorate their financial situations.
Conditions of refugees in Greece are worsening at an alarming speed. In a MSF report, Faris Al-Jawad, communications manager for MSF, commented on the urgency of the crisis: "We've been pushing for years for the evacuation of vulnerable people. This was a ticking time bomb that was waiting to explode."
Monsoon Season Presents New Dangers for Rohingya Refugees in South Asia
By Marin Theis
As monsoon season approaches in South Asia, heavy flooding and landslides threaten to wash away Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh. Over time, monsoon season flooding has increased in severity as climate change worsens.
Monsoon season occurs from May to October in Bangladesh, which is home to two major refugee camps and over 855,000 Rohingya refugees, according to a report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The majority of refugee camps in Bangladesh are mostly located near the Bay of Bengal, which is extremely flood-prone.
As a result of heavy rains, refugee camps may experience landslides, flooding, and water contamination, which may reduce access to adequate healthcare and increase camp vulnerability to disease outbreaks. The crowded conditions of the refugee camps facilitate the spread of disease, making outbreaks deadly according to a news note from the United Nations Children’s Fund.
According to a report from the World Food Program USA, almost 10% of tents in the densely-populated Kutupalong camp are in danger of being washed away by landslides. The removal of trees from the coastline to build temporary housing also removes a natural buffer between land and sea, causing heavy flooding and putting the housing built along the coast at risk. This also creates the conditions for increased landslides.
As climate change worsens, conditions in refugee camps will continue to deteriorate. According to a report from the American Security Project, “Into the future, Bangladesh will face both extreme monsoons and sea level rise, creating over 30 million refugees.” Bangladesh is also predicted to lose large amounts of land along the Bay of Bengal to rising sea levels, displacing both Bangladeshi citizens and the refugees living in camps in those areas.
Bangladesh is not equipped to handle the strengthening rains and the steady influx of Rohingya refugees. Currently, the refugee camps are pushed beyond maximum capacity and the Bangladeshi government is struggling to find adequate locations for more camps.
According to a press release from the Human Rights Watch, over 300 Rohingya have been moved to Bhasan Char, a silt island located in the Bay of Bengal. 4,000 more refugees have been told to relocate to the island as of 2020. Bangladesh’s Land Ministry has reported that Basan Char could be completely submerged if hit by a cyclone at high tide, placing the refugees’