Stories about Refugees from March, 2011
Japan: Relief Tweets for Refugee Parents
As the situation at the nuclear plant Fukushima Daiichi remains unstable and the government warns about the high levels of radioactive iodine and cesium in vegetables and tap water, infants' parents seek reassurance and advice from experts and fellow parents on the internet.
Côte d'Ivoire: Where Are the African Personalities When They Are Needed?
A few months ago, Marième Jamme asked Bono and Bob Geldof to take less prominent roles as speakers for Africa in the media and leave space for Africans to speak for themselves. Today on the Africa Rising blog, bloggers wonder where have the African personalities gone when they are actually needed to get the world's...
Côte d'Ivoire: When Ethnic Hate Shadows Politics
Abobo and Yopougon are two districts of Abidjan, the economic capital city of Côte d'Ivoire. Different ethnic and religious groups have mixed peacefully in the areas, until the recent Ivorian political crisis began. For the last ten days, they have witnessed incidents of ethnic violence, crystallising political disputes and the threat of civil war.
Libya: Sub-Saharan Africans in Serious Danger
The crisis in Libya since the uprisings against Colonel Mouammar Gaddafi has not only had dramatic consequences for Libyans, but also for Sub-Saharan African citizens residing in Libya. Thousands of refugees are exposed to terrible conditions on journeys to the nearest borders, and numerous black Africans currently do not dare to leave their homes.
The Forgotten Palestinian Refugees of Libya
More than 10 percent of Libya's inhabitants are immigrants and among them there are reportedly up to 70,000 Palestinian refugee settlers. As they flee violence in the country, the Palestinian Authority has tried to coordinate their evacuation, but lack of identity cards has seen them turned away from a border crossing in Egypt.
Palestine: Life in the Eyes of Two West Bank Students
Linah Alsaafin and Heba Awadallah are students at Birzeit University near Ramallah in the West Bank, who started a blog together a year ago. Called Life On Bir Zeit Campus, the blog takes an incisive and entertaining look at student life and Palestinian politics amongst other topics.
Libya: Death Toll Rises to 6,000, US Mulls Intervention
Human rights groups have put the latest death toll in the Libyan crisis to over 6000, as pro-Gaddafi forces continue to pound opposition-held cities with air strikes. Libyan bloggers and tweeps share their side of the story in this post by Antoun Issa.
South Korea: Tweet Petitions Filed to Defend Trade Unionist at Risk of Being Deported
The Amnesty International Korea bureau has filed tweet petitions against the Korean Justice department's decision to deport Michel Catuira, the president of the Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants’ Trade Union (MTU). (Read more in English) Amnesty Korea encouraged South Korean net users to sent a tweet petition[ko] to the Minister of Justice with...
Tunisia: Refugee Crisis at the Libya Border
The border between Tunisia and Libya has seen a massive influx of refugees since the uprising in Libya began. The initial journey is long and tough, and for most it doesn't end there. Huge crowds of thousands have been waiting for days in freezing cold weather to cross in to Tunisia.