MaximsNewsNetwork: ETHIOPIA - ERITREAN CHILDREN LIVING in MAIANI REFUGEE CAMP (UNHCR) скачать в хорошем качестве

MaximsNewsNetwork: ETHIOPIA - ERITREAN CHILDREN LIVING in MAIANI REFUGEE CAMP (UNHCR)

MaximsNewsNetwork: 22 November 2010 -- UNHCR: Ethiopia -- An alarming number of young Eritrean children are living at the Maiaini refugee camp in northern Ethiopia without their families and because they entered Ethiopia unofficially without documents, there is no immediate way for them to return; UNHCR and other aid agencies also provide these children with basic shelter and food but it is a harsh life where the boys say they lack shoes, clothes and protection from mosquitoes. But the emotional struggle is the toughest say aid workers and many of the unaccompanied children suffer from depression. They stay at the sprawling Maiaini refugee camp in northern Ethiopia, a temporary home to over eleven thousand people. An important part of that is going to school and making the most of free education in the camp though increase in numbers of children arriving in the camps means classrooms are overflowing. But lone refugee children like her have few options. Because they entered Ethiopia unofficially without documents, there is no immediate way for these boys to return. Crossing back into Eritrea illegally is too risky. They can only hope that one day there will be arrangements made for them to repatriate safely but even if they do, many may find that this experience has changed them for life. And the reality is that many of these children don't actually want to go back to Eritrea. All have fled across the border from neighboring Eritrea. Older lone children like sixteen year old Rigat care for the young boys. It gives her structure and companionship in an otherwise empty life. SOUNDBITE (Eritrean) Rigat Tewold, child refugee: "I think about my parents a lot and I feel unhappy because I'm alone I've been here for a year and a half now and so far I haven't had much hope. But one day I d like to be able to support myself and my parents." SOUNDBITE (Eritrean) Furtuna Andemeskel, child refugee: "During the night I'm afraid because I'm young and I'm here without my parents. I'm worried because if someone gets into my room, they can harm me." "I don't want to go back because I need to continue my education. If I return, they will send me to a military training camp. I did the right thing to come here, because of the conditions in Eritrea. But I miss my parents. I'm homesick." SOUNDBITE (English) Bethel Amanuel, Child Protection officer, OASIS charity: "Some of them have tried to cross back but were caught by the security. We don't believe it will be easy for them go back to Eritrea at this moment, so the easiest thing is to keep them in reality but give them a way they can adapt to this place. Not full time, but while they are here, enjoy it, be busy and not forget that they're children." "They say no-one is here, our mother is suffering, our elder brother is not here, our father is a soldier, so why don't we just cross the border...go and see what we can find out. What they find here, is that it could be better. You can feed them and give them shelter but you cannot give them a family, so most of them regret that they crossed the border." ...... ( UNITED NATIONS REFUGEE AGENCY: UNHCR ) ............................................ MaximsNewsNetwork: News Network for the United Nations and the International Community. See: http://www.MaximsNews.com. "GIVING POWER & RESONANCE TO THE VOICE OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY" ......................