I’ve been wanting to write an update about this for a long time since last year, but I always felt like I didn’t have the knowledge and the words to start… How does one begin to talk human rights? About the Ugandan child soldiers who have been fighting the adults’ war for the last 20 years? About the 800,000 Rwandans were massacred in one hundred days in 1994? About the warlords in Sudan attacking UNs’ convoys and pillaging the innocents’ only means of survival? About the generations of girls brought up in brothels deep in the heart of India? About women being raped and murdered in Somalia while the world is sitting by even though UN is calling it “one of the worst humanitarian crises” at this very moment?
I just spent 2 days at Dzaleka refugee camp with a friend of mine. "Dzaleka" means "Never again", yet I'm not sure some of these refugees really believe they will "never again" see the terror and horror that siezed their lives in Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe. I didn't really spend any time with the refugees themselves, but I was walking amid the refugees, hanging out at their market, health center, houses, mess halls, schools, etc. We spent most of our time wandering around, searching for the administrators of the camp, health center, and school, and staying with a British volunteer we had met at Dzaleka. I had learned so much just from talking to people and wished I had more questions and time to ask them. I didn't meet any weeping refugees, amputee escapees, or anything like that, but I was glad that I was able to walk among the refugees' homes living their lives as normally as they possibly could.
The UNHCR first opened the camp in 1994 just eight months after the Rwandan genocide. Recently it consolidated with another camp due to some problems, so currently there are over 9,000 refugees overpopulating the camp with roughly half from Rwanda, followed by the Congolese. I was surprised that there were so many Rwandans and that after 14 years, they still remained in Malawi, especially considering how Malawi had little to offer them. But one person told me that even after hearing their fellow Rwandans sharing about the stability in their homeland, their fear still dominate their lives, forcing them to camp out in a foreign land. I guess I cannot underestimate the consequences a genocide produces, but thankfully, the UNHCR has an unconditional policy that allows them to stay as long as they want until they feel emotionally prepared to return home.
As for the Somalians, I cannot blame them for being stuck here - or anywhere - for so long. As the only anarchic state in the world, they really don't have anywhere else to turn to. It seems that Malawi also doesn't know how to handle the influx of Somalians (or even the Congolese) because their lack of governance left them with little or no documentations of their lives. As if their lives were erased or never written.
Even though these refugees escaped from their countries for a safer place to live, it seems that they're still insecure. The administrator of the camp shared that their biggest challenge has been security amongst the refugees and even between the refugees and Malawians. Though there hasn't been any major violent outbreaks (that'd be a problem for the place of "asylum"), apparently most bickering would not be internationally but actually intranationally, most especially with the Congolese.
As I walked through the camp, I tried to imagine and understand what the refugees must face and deal with. To have their homes, lands, crops, livestock, and all things we consider assets taken away from them, I couldn't imagine how they can recuperate from that, especially living in another country where the language and culture are foreign to them. It's amazing how one little war between two warlords or two power-hungry dictators can ruin so many people's lives.
In case you're unaware of the current issues, I've summarized the current major humanitarian crises from the book Not On Our Watch:
Congo (1996-present)
After the Rwandan genocide, the fighting didn’t stop. Instead, it flowed into its neighboring countries, like Congo (formerly known as Zaire). Since Rwanda and Uganda invaded it again in 1998 to overthrow the dictator Mobutu, it has been dubbed as the “African First World War”. Though a peace deal was signed in 2003, violence still continues throughout the country.
Northern Uganda (1986-Present)
Just two countries away from here, the rebels, Lord’s Resistance Army, have been abducting children to fight the government. The leader, Joseph Kony, believes himself to be God’s “messenger” bringing punishment to the government. But he does so at the expense of eight to fourteen-year-olds, who are brainwashed to kill and used as generals’ wives. Though a peace process has been in the works since 2005, the IRC’s warrant to arrest Kony has left the rebels unwilling.
Somalia (1991-Present)
Somalia is actually the only “failed state”, in which anarchy takes on its true meaning since the Cold War. Since “Black Hawk Down”, the U.S. has provided little, if any, support to the Somalis, showing strong interest only in fighting terrorism.
I just spent 2 days at Dzaleka refugee camp with a friend of mine. "Dzaleka" means "Never again", yet I'm not sure some of these refugees really believe they will "never again" see the terror and horror that siezed their lives in Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe. I didn't really spend any time with the refugees themselves, but I was walking amid the refugees, hanging out at their market, health center, houses, mess halls, schools, etc. We spent most of our time wandering around, searching for the administrators of the camp, health center, and school, and staying with a British volunteer we had met at Dzaleka. I had learned so much just from talking to people and wished I had more questions and time to ask them. I didn't meet any weeping refugees, amputee escapees, or anything like that, but I was glad that I was able to walk among the refugees' homes living their lives as normally as they possibly could.
The UNHCR first opened the camp in 1994 just eight months after the Rwandan genocide. Recently it consolidated with another camp due to some problems, so currently there are over 9,000 refugees overpopulating the camp with roughly half from Rwanda, followed by the Congolese. I was surprised that there were so many Rwandans and that after 14 years, they still remained in Malawi, especially considering how Malawi had little to offer them. But one person told me that even after hearing their fellow Rwandans sharing about the stability in their homeland, their fear still dominate their lives, forcing them to camp out in a foreign land. I guess I cannot underestimate the consequences a genocide produces, but thankfully, the UNHCR has an unconditional policy that allows them to stay as long as they want until they feel emotionally prepared to return home.
As for the Somalians, I cannot blame them for being stuck here - or anywhere - for so long. As the only anarchic state in the world, they really don't have anywhere else to turn to. It seems that Malawi also doesn't know how to handle the influx of Somalians (or even the Congolese) because their lack of governance left them with little or no documentations of their lives. As if their lives were erased or never written.
Even though these refugees escaped from their countries for a safer place to live, it seems that they're still insecure. The administrator of the camp shared that their biggest challenge has been security amongst the refugees and even between the refugees and Malawians. Though there hasn't been any major violent outbreaks (that'd be a problem for the place of "asylum"), apparently most bickering would not be internationally but actually intranationally, most especially with the Congolese.
As I walked through the camp, I tried to imagine and understand what the refugees must face and deal with. To have their homes, lands, crops, livestock, and all things we consider assets taken away from them, I couldn't imagine how they can recuperate from that, especially living in another country where the language and culture are foreign to them. It's amazing how one little war between two warlords or two power-hungry dictators can ruin so many people's lives.
In case you're unaware of the current issues, I've summarized the current major humanitarian crises from the book Not On Our Watch:
Congo (1996-present)
After the Rwandan genocide, the fighting didn’t stop. Instead, it flowed into its neighboring countries, like Congo (formerly known as Zaire). Since Rwanda and Uganda invaded it again in 1998 to overthrow the dictator Mobutu, it has been dubbed as the “African First World War”. Though a peace deal was signed in 2003, violence still continues throughout the country.
Northern Uganda (1986-Present)
Just two countries away from here, the rebels, Lord’s Resistance Army, have been abducting children to fight the government. The leader, Joseph Kony, believes himself to be God’s “messenger” bringing punishment to the government. But he does so at the expense of eight to fourteen-year-olds, who are brainwashed to kill and used as generals’ wives. Though a peace process has been in the works since 2005, the IRC’s warrant to arrest Kony has left the rebels unwilling.
Somalia (1991-Present)
Somalia is actually the only “failed state”, in which anarchy takes on its true meaning since the Cold War. Since “Black Hawk Down”, the U.S. has provided little, if any, support to the Somalis, showing strong interest only in fighting terrorism.
After my visit, my appreciation for the UNHCR grew. Of course it's far from perfect and has room for growth and change, but I can see that they're trying to create a place as safe and comfortable as possible while dealing with the constant influx and outflux of refugees and taking in the Malawians and refugees' needs at the same time. They're trying their best with the little resources they have. I admire how the administration is also trying to mainstream the refugees with the local villages to avoid isolation from the community. But how do they have a life for themselves when they don't have a home to live in? Land to farm on? Businesses to run? I didn't realize how difficult it would be to displaced from everything they knew and had once.
Anyway, I wanted to say more, but I couldn't put down everything I learned, so I'll stop here. I've also posted a few more pictures from Malawi at http://www.flickr.com/photos/26853368@N04/sets/72157605200076398/. I hope you enjoy them! :)
Dzaleka,
Elaine
This is the health center serving both the refugees and the Malawians
These are the primary students who mobbed us
