Colombia's internal refugees dying of hunger, preventable diseases: study

[Judi Lynn]

UPDATED: 10:32, January 19, 2006
Colombia's internal refugees dying of hunger, preventable diseases: study

Colombians who have been forced from their homes by the conflict in their country, an estimated 1.3 million people, are dying of hunger and preventable diseases, according to a study presented on Wednesday.

Displaced Colombians have the highest index of poverty, the fewest employment opportunities and the largest number of basic deficiencies.

Nearly 99 percent of the displaced suffer from serious diseases caused by poor living conditions, such as living in shanty towns and storm drains, according to the study which had been commissioned by the United Nations, the European Union and the Pan-American Health Organization.

50 percent of pregnant women suffer from anemia, as do a similar number of children between two and four years old, said the report.

Peter Goossens, the World Food Program's representative in Colombia, said that 93 percent of the internal refugees are below the poverty line and suffer from diseases which are easily preventable.
(snip/...)

http://english.people.com.cn/200601/19/eng20060119_236698.html

[NorthernSpy]

1. remember: our own government helped to turn beautiful Columbia...

... into hell on earth.

http://blog.zmag.org/index.php/weblog/entry/the_us_venezuela_columbia/

[Judi Lynn]

2. Thanks for the reminder. I didn't know the advisors had been there

that long. We're entrenched there, now, aren't we?

Hope Latin America finds that unity they've been needing so long. It's their right by now.