Written by Meron Estifanos Wednesday, 25 May 2011 03:05
Written by Meron Estifanos Wednesday, 25 May 2011 03:05
The International Commission on Eritrean Refugees (ICER) has learned today that the situation in Chocha refugee camp in Tunisia, which had taken in Eritrean refugees fleeing primarily from Libya, is totally out of control.
UNHCR and IOM have
abandoned the camp. The whole camp is scorched. Because of hostilities
between refugee groups, nearly four hundred Eritreans have been injured,
about 750 Eritreans, including pregnant women, newly born children who
are a day old, and children up two five years old are displaced at this
moment and there is no one to protect them. Witnesses have describes the
situation as depicted by the film “Hotel Rwanda” They are now in the
middle of nowhere in order to protect themselves by staying clear of the
other refugees.
This all started about four days ago, when about four Eritrean women
went out to wash themselves at night, some Sudanese refugees tried to
rape them. Eritrean men came to their rescue, as the result of that, the
Sudanese then threatened Eritreans by saying, just wait tonight we will
burn all of you. The same night at around midnight, one tent was burned
from the outside, everybody helped each other and they were able to put
the fire out. Later on that same night at around three in the morning
fire was sate again while everyone were asleep, as the result of that
fire four Eritreans died and four more are in a hospital.
Today Tunisians came to the camp and started burning everything that was
left, looted, took over the UNHCR food and medical storage, while
Tunisian soldiers just standing there and did nothing to stop it.
Help with security and medical treatment is urgently needed. Readers are
urged to contact the Tunisian embassy in their area. It is hoped that
NATO forces can be deployed to establish control and security for all
involved at the camp.
ICER Media
Dr. Yonas Mehari
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I
will only be certain if People is the only vehicle of sovereignty and the
only source of power in Eritrea.
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"The sun does not forget a village just because it is small”