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AFGHANISTAN
September
2001. One of the
poorest nations in the world, Afghanistan is facing tremendous problems as a
result of recent turmoil, which has materialized in a vast refugee
crisis. The U.S.-led military
campaign immediately escalated the existing refugee crisis in Afghanistan,
and U.S. food drops have proven almost totally worthless, and potentially
dangerous, having been provided in quantities insufficient to feed 1% of the
needy population for one day, having been littered across heavily mined
areas, and having been airdropped from 30,000 feet without parachutes (MSF,
2001; Oxfam, 2001). UTR responded immediately to
the large-scale refugee crisis with fundraising and awareness efforts both within
MIT and throughout the greater Boston area. This was followed by
inter-collegiate coordination with students at Georgetown University and
Colombia University. UTR’s Boston-area fundraising totaled $3747.13, and was
immediately translated into the purchase of plastic sheeting, jerry cans and
other items required by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
UNHCR’s USA office worked closely with UTR to obtain necessary items for
refugee camps. As a
result of reports of civilian medical needs resulting from the U.S.
bombings, UTR has more recently been working to procure medical supplies by
raising money for the physicians group Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and has
so far raised several thousand dollars. In coordination with the New York office of MSF, these
funds have been used to provide medical supplies to needy clinics in and
around Afghanistan. UTR is continuing large-scale fundraising through the
solicitation of Cambridge and Boston businesses, although total returns from
this effort have not yet been calculated. UTR is
currently planning to partner with international NGOs and local Afghani
associations in order to design a long-term reconstruction initiative. In
particular, an intercollegiate funding drive for demining (see “landmines”
under “disaster relief”) and long-term agricultural development operations
are being pursued. Details of the situation in Afghanistan and UTR
involvement are available in our Activity
Report. COLOMBIA Colombian refugees are arriving en masse to the Boston
area. Most are running from government-funded paramilitaries who terrorize
the civilian population. These immigrants face deportation to a war-torn
country, and can’t get amnesty because the Colombian government is supplied
by the U.S. in the “war on drugs.” The U.S. government does not wish to grant
amnesty to these immigrants because a granting process would be equivalent to
an admission that the U.S.-supplied Colombian government violates human
rights and is enough of a humanitarian concern to warrant amnesty provisions
to escaped citizens. UTR is now
planning a city-wide effort, in collaboration with other Boston-area
non-profit organizations, to assist these refugees. In the coming weeks, UTR
will be initiating a series of programs to assist local Colombian refugees in
gaining amnesty and beginning a secure life within the United States. Detailed
information about the Colombian situation: |
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