Toxic Waste Kills Children in Kosovo. Latest News

7th Aug: After ignoring the claim for compensation on behalf of some families for 5 yrs and 5 months, the UN has finally issued a rejection letter. Lawyer Dianne Post issues Press Release. DOWNLOAD REJECTION LETTER HERE

DOWNLOAD PRESS RELEASE HERE

KRRF was informed last week that the lead levels in 12 children has risen since their ressettlement at Mahalla. It is investigating. This is a worrying development that could undermine the EC and USAID-funded resettlement being implemented by Mercy Corps.

25th Apr: Lord Avebury, Vice-Chair of the UK Parliamentary All-Party Group on Human Rights, and Secretary of the All-Party Group on Gypsies, Roma and Travellers has written to the European Union's External Action Service in which he raising questions about allocation of funding. Download Letter HERE

16th Mar: Meeting was held in London to report on progress of resettlement and medical treatment. MPs, human rights organisations, US and EU embassy officials, religious leaders, paediatricians and toxicology experts invited. Read Paul Polansky's speech HERE

"Monitoring PROJECT NEEDS SUPPORT" - CLICK HERE

21st Dec: Mercy Corps confirms Cesmin Lug site now fenced off by UNHCR. The next phase of resettlement imminent. 38 Osterode families will start moving to new dwellings in Mahalla on 22nd Dec. 39 families will still remain at Osterode, where scientists found lead levels in places 10x higher than Cesmin Lug. WHO latest treatment protocol available HERE

12th Dec: Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights sends letter to German government regarding forced repatriations and the LEAD-contaminated camps

DOWNLOAD HERE

17th Oct: KRRF MONITORING PROJECT. Launched. First "On the spot" report discovers no testing, no treatment, & children being allowed to dig in toxic waste left after UNHCR claim to have destroyed Cesmin Lug but failed to seal the site. MONITORING PROJECT HERE

8th Oct: The UN, which placed 500 families on toxic land and abandoned them for eleven years has attempted to claim credit as Cesmin Lug is destroyed for ever. Most families have moved to Roma Mahalla or Osterode. But Fluvio team found Osterode contamination levels 10 x greater than Cesmin Lug! Ergin Salihi now back from hospital his family have been placed in Roma Mahalla as a priority. UN chief in Kosovo, Lamberto Zannier, after stalling for ten months, finally agrees to meet the lawyers representing the abused families, but fails to provide a date.

4th Oct: Amnesty criticise forced returns of Roma to Kosovo mentioning German families in toxic camps and cumulative discrimination amounting to persecution. Download Amnesty Report HERE

26th Sept: Mercy Corps announce 44 families moved to Roma Mahalla but 90 families remaining in highly toxic conditions. Ergin Salihi rushed yet again to Belgrade hospital. KRRF to monitor lead treatment of all victims as per World Health Organisation protocol, amid fears of mission creep delaying treatment. No former RM residents will be treated . Download WHO Protocol HERE

22nd July: International petition launched calling for families to be taken to safety and for treatment into Camp Bondsteel. HELP SAVE CHILDREN TODAY Sign petition HERE.

7th July: KMEG expresses solidarity with "Alle Bleiben" the German campaign against forced deportations. Download Information HERE and visit www.alle-bleiben.info/

8th June: At the inauguration of Roma Holocaust Exhibition hosted by the German embassy in London, ambasador is challenged by Paul Polansky over forced deportations of Roma to Kosovo. Download Poem of Protest. View film HERE

5th April: Russia Today transmits film featuring the Roma IDP camps, as the death toll rises to 85. Meanwhile, EU countires continue to deport Roma to Kosovo. View film HERE

10th March: "LEAD MOUNTAIN REFUGEES" points finger of responsibility for Kosovo's death camps at Bernard Kouchner. VIEW FILM HERE

11th March: Scientists from Aberystwyth University published findings on Mitrovica lead pollution, concluding that UNHCR's camps should be closed as matter of urgency. Additional tests at Roma Mahalla identify it as one possible relocation site. Download FLUVIO Report HERE.

15th February: Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg reports on his visit to toxic camps and forced returns to Kosovo. Download CoE Press Release HERE

Special Appeal for Ergin Salihi and children like him CLICK HERE

3rd February: In a statement released today, the United Kingdom Association of Gypsy Women (UKAGW) has called for immediate evacuation and proper medical treatment. Download their statement HERE

29th January: After repeated requests and intervention by the office of Catherine Ashton, Vice President of the European Commission, EULEX Chief prosecutor agrees to meet KMEG representatives on 4th Feb to discuss the investigation of serious crimes against Roma families in the camps.

21st January: After repeated stalling by UNMIK, Leigh Day & Co are forced to write again to Lamberto Zannier, SRSG. FOLLOW THE LEGAL CLAIM HERE

21st December: Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe, Thomas Hammarberg, calls on Angela Merkel, German Chancellor, to cease all forced repatriations of Roma families to Kosovo while toxic camps remain occupied. Download his letter HERE

15th December: THE SUN, the UK's top circulation paper with 10 million readers, exposes the scandal of the UN's poison camps for Gypsies in Kosovo. ONLINE STORY HERE or download printed version including excellent interview with one of the families HERE

10th October: Leigh Day, the international human rights law firm that successfully won £30 million in compensation in the largest ever group compensation case involving toxic waste, has now lodged a claim at the United Nations for its ongoing abuse of Roma at toxic camps. Follow this action on the "LEGAL CLAIM" page.

1st October 2009: WHO release offical statement calling for immediate camp closure READ IT HERE

26th August 2009: WHO Head in Serbia and the Head of the WHO Anti-lead team call for immediate evacuation and destruction of the camps during meetings with the Kosovo Minister of Health, the Kosovo government, UNMIK, KAAD, the camp administrators, Mercy Corps, Institute of Health in both N and S Mitrovica. As at least 11 Roma families relocate to S Mahalla, most vacant dwellings are immediately occupied by returning Roma families from Serbia, without any action being taken by the Kosovo government or the camp administrators to prevent this from happening.

Aug 9th 2009: Doctors in Pristina hospital admit they cannot treat Ergin Salihi for his behavioral problems or lead poisoning. They agressively demand that Paul Polansky, who was visiting, take him back to the toxic conditions at Osterode camp. He refuses. The next day, they get his illiterate mother to sign his discharge papers, before sending him home.

Aug 3rd 2009: Ergin Salihi discharged to Osterode after Belgrade doctors say there is nothing more they can do for him. On 4th Aug, he will be taken to Pristina hospital. Alush Gashi, Kosovo's Minister for Health states. "Regarding the Ergin Salihi, he can be admitted to hospital and if there is need for treatment abroad we will do outmost to make it happen" (email to GfbV:8th June 2009)

July 21st 2009: Ergin Salihi returned by ambulance to hospital in Belgrade. His condition is reported as "very weak & life in danger". While the UN, the Kosovo government and the EU continue to wring their hands and fail to evacuate the children, and while the WHO fails to provide advice on medical treatment, once again a young boy is the needless victim of ongoing abuse.

July 4th 2009: Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner, condemns camps and forced repatriations of Roma to Kosovo. DOWNLOAD REPORT HERE

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