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	UN warns about link between racism and conflict by United Nations News   21 March 2012   United Nations officials warned today about the dangerous bond between racism and conflict, urging the international community to address grievances before they explode into catastrophic conflict.   “Racism and racial discrimination have been used as weapons to engender fear and hatred. In extreme cases, ruthless leaders instigate prejudice to incite genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his message marking this year’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which focuses on the theme of racism and conflict.   On 21 March each year, the UN marks the day in 1960 when dozens of peaceful protesters were gunned down by police in the South African township of Sharpeville as they demonstrated against apartheid.   “Racism undermines peace, security, justice and social progress,” Mr. Ban added. “It is a violation of human rights that tears at individuals and rips apart the social fabric.”   In her statement to mark the Day, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay cited a survey which stated that 55 per cent of violent conflicts between 2007 and 2009 had violations of minority rights or ethnic tensions at their core. The relationship between racism and conflict was “a deep-rooted, well-established one,” she cautioned.   “Leaving the dangerous societal problems of prejudice and racism to simmer on the back burner creates a real risk of explosive conflicts erupting, years or decades later,” Ms. Pillay stated.   “Racism and prejudice can provide, propel, and perpetuate the narratives that create and sustain conflict – whether in the developed or developing world.”   UN experts on racism and minority issues stressed the need for greater attention to prevention and early action in response to the first warning signs of tensions caused by racism and discrimination that may lead to violence and conflict situation with serious violations of human rights.   “All relevant actors should pay attention to early warning signs, including the marginalization and social exclusion of specific groups of individuals; discriminatory legislation and policies; the persistence of racial prejudice and negative stereotypes; hate speech by public officials and the media; and violent attacks and harassment targeting ethnic groups,” said Mutuma Ruteere, the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.   Mr. Ruteere and Rita Izsák, the UN Independent Expert on minority issues, drew attention to the important role of non-State actors, including civil society, the media, national human rights institutions, and political parties, who can serve as “watchdogs” for discriminatory government policies and play an important role in the promotion of tolerance, mutual understanding and respect for diversity.   Statement by Navi Pillay, the High Commissioner for Human Rights for 2012   The relationship between racism and conflict is a deep-rooted, well-established one. A number of studies have shown that one of the earliest indicators of potential violence is the chronic disregard of minority rights. One survey by an international non-governmental organization indicated that more than 55 per cent of violent conflicts of a significant intensity between 2007 and 2009 had violations of minority rights or tensions between communities at their core.   Last year alone, we saw many terrible examples of ethnic violence in the midst of several conflicts in a number of countries around the world. Last week, on a visit to Guatemala, I saw for myself the tragic and longstanding consequences of historical practices of racism against indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants. Guatemala is still addressing the legacy of 36 years of armed conflict.   Prevention of such conflict is clearly more desirable than later attempts to douse the flames and begin difficult processes of rebuilding, reconciliation and justice – not to mention the human and social costs. But the problem is that the earliest warnings of prejudice and discord are so often ignored, and it is only when the later, more sinister signs begin to emerge that the State and the international community react.   Twenty years ago, the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities recognized clearly the link between political and social stability and the promotion and protection of the rights of national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities. States also recognized in the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action that racism and racial discrimination are among the root causes of many internal and international conflicts. A look through the early warning files and reports of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is a tragic reading of the kinds of conflicts that could have been prevented had those early warnings been heeded.   On this International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, I call on States to heed the early warnings of prejudice, stereotypes, ignorance and xenophobia. I call on them to address, urgently, the marginalization and exclusion of individuals belonging to certain communities from political and economic decision-making.   I call for a process of consultation and constant dialogue with all sectors of society, a redoubling of efforts to ensure that access to jobs, to land, to political and economic rights is not contingent on one’s colour, ethnic, national or racial background, and that development projects do not disproportionately disadvantage a particular community.   These are not new obligations on governments, but have long been part of the universally agreed human rights commitments made by States.   Leaving the dangerous societal problems of prejudice and racism to simmer on the back burner creates a real risk of explosive conflicts erupting, years or decades later.   Racism and prejudice can provide, propel and perpetuate the narratives that create and sustain conflict – whether in the developed or developing world. Let us not wait until grievances turn to violence or prejudice turns to genocide before we take action.   Discrimination and Poverty   Many people who live in extreme poverty are often also victims of discrimination on grounds such as birth, property, national and social origin, race, color and religion.   Poverty is both a cause and a product of human rights violations. In 2001 the World Conference against Racism in Durban emphasized that poverty, underdevelopment, marginalization, social exclusion and economic disparities are closely associated with racism, and contribute to the persistence of racist attitudes and practices which in turn generate more poverty.   The UN often refers to poverty as a ‘vicious circle’, made up of a wide range of factors which are interlinked and hard to overcome. Deprivation of resources, capability and opportunities makes it impossible for anyone to satisfy the most basic human needs or to enjoy human rights. In many societies, people are prevented from enjoying their rights not just because they cannot afford to do so, but simply because of who they are.   Discrimination is often a barrier to essential services for certain groups of people, for example, migrants, ethnic and racial minorities, refugees and internally displaced persons, women, persons living with HIV/AIDS, stateless persons and persons with disabilities.   Discriminatory laws, policies and practices may mean that these groups are also denied the right to work, the right to adequate housing and the right to a high standard of health. Racial discrimination and other types of discrimination can have a multiplier effect, compounding social exclusion and, in the worst cases, fuelling violent conflict. Visit the related web page
	Humanitarian situation in Mali deteriorates by Reuters & agencies   15 Jan 2013   Humanitarian situation in Mali deteriorates. (UN News Service)   The latest round of military clashes over the weekend between the Malian army and radical Islamist groups have sparked a new wave of displacement and led to a worsening of the humanitarian situation in the North African country, the United Nations warned.   According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 30,000 people fled their homes over the weekend, coinciding with the declaration of a state of emergency by the Government and the beginning of a French air operation in support of the Malian army, bringing the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to over 200,000.   “The degradation of the sanitation, shelter, health and food security conditions which has been observed over the last nine months in the North is likely to be aggravated as the number of IDPs increases,” OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke told reporters in Geneva.   Northern Mali was occupied by radical Islamists after fighting broke out in January 2012 between Government forces and Tuareg rebels, after which the country underwent a military coup d’état, in March.   The renewed fighting comes at a time when OCHA estimates that 4.2 million Malians will need humanitarian assistance this year. These include some 2 million food insecure people and hundreds of thousands of malnourished children.   The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) stressed that it is becoming increasingly difficult to access areas in the North as fighting continues. In Bamako, the capital, many families are struggling to make ends meet as the security situation deteriorates.   “Many families live in small rooms in bad conditions with no electricity or direct access to water. They generally lack space to accommodate all family members. The needs for money, food and shelter are huge,” said UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards, adding that the agency is in the process of working with partners on income-generating activities to ameliorate the situation.   UNCHR is also assisting Malians who have left their country for neighbouring Niger, Burkina Faso and Mauritania by providing clean water, sanitation and hygiene structures, healthcare and education.   “Refugees are telling us they fled the ongoing military intervention, the absence of subsistence opportunities and basic services, and the imposition of Sharia Law,” Mr. Edwards said. He added that UNHCR remains short of funds for the Mali crisis with only $77.4 million received of the $123 million sought to help refugees and IDPs in 2012. For 2013, the agency anticipates needs at a further $195.6 million.   Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned that chronic problems of food insecurity and malnutrition in the country will only be worsened by the conflict. The agency has so far managed to move emergency food to 270,000 conflict-affected people in the North, including 70,000 IDPs. However, it states that persistent insecurity is severely limiting its work.   WFP spokesperson Elisabeth Byrs added that the agency would continue to monitor the situation and work closely with its partners to reach more than 400,000 crisis-affected people in the cities of Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal, which have been some of the most affected areas.   As the number of displaced people increased, there is also a growing concern for children as they are at high risk of being separated from their families and are more vulnerable to many forms of abuse, including military recruitment and sexual violence, noted the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).   “A major concern is of children being used in the fighting,” said UNICEF spokesperson Marixie Mercado. “Children were often used in the first wave of fighting, which significantly raised the risk of injury and death.”   * Amnesty International has called on all parties to the armed conflict in Mali to ensure civilians are protected. “Forces involved in armed attacks should avoid indiscriminate shelling at all costs, and do their utmost to prevent civilian casualties.”   Amnesty International called for the international community to support the deployment of human rights monitors, with particular attention given to the use of child soldiers, children’s rights, gender, and protection of civilians.   Reports have indicated that Islamist groups have been using child soldiers, and that some of them have been wounded and possibly killed in the conflict.   Amnesty International is urging French forces operating in Mali to give as much advance warning as possible to civilians, and calls on the armed groups to not put military targets near civilian objects. Armed forces are bound by international humanitarian law to take all necessary precautions to minimise harm to civilians.   30 March 2012   Conflict in Mali disrupts fragile food markets and threatens to escalate food crisis in West Africa.   Growing insecurity in Mali and northern Nigeria is disrupting the supply of food to communities suffering from a major food crisis affecting 18 million people in West Africa, said international aid agency Oxfam today.   “The insecurity in Mali must not prevent the urgent efforts needed to deal with the other crisis in this country: the lack of affordable food that threatens the lives and livelihoods of 3.5 million Malians.” - Eric Mamboué, Oxfam Country Director in Mali   The conflict in northern Mali, one of the driving factors of last week’s coup d’état and the temporary closure of borders, had already posed a major risk to vulnerable communities in Mali and the region. Now there are signs that the escalation in the country’s instability is further affecting the already serious food insecurity across West Africa, meaning a rapid increase in humanitarian assistance to the region is urgently needed.   In Mali, over 200,000 people have been displaced since January. Half of these people have fled to neighbouring countries, and they are in urgent need of food, water, sanitation and shelter. Further waves of displacement remain a risk.   The disruption of local and cross-border food markets have limited food supplies and increased prices. Markets in Bandiagara at the border with Burkina Faso, Menaka bordering Niger, Nara-Nioro bordering Mauritania, as well as Niono and l’Office du Niger in the centre of the country, which provides rice for all four countries, have all been hit.   Traditional migration routes used by pastoralists have been disrupted. Conflict has caused livestock, an essential source of food and livelihoods, to be herded in large numbers towards the south of Mali, and across to Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Niger, where fodder, food and water levels are dangerously low and threaten their survival.   A reduced ability to travel across borders to seek alternative sources of income and employment to support families at home. This is a traditional way that people cope during crises, with Nigeriens travelling to work in northern Mali, Burkinabè searching for work in central Mali, and Malian women of Nara and Nioro travelling to Mauritania.   While Oxfam and other agencies continue to operate and provide assistance to vulnerable populations in zones affected by conflict, a further degradation of security may risk hampering humanitarian access and provision of basic services to areas of greatest need.   In Northern Nigeria, an increase in conflict over recent months has also affected communities who are struggling with the food crisis. Some border posts in Borno and Yobe states have been closed due to growing violence, while at other borders exports have been dramatically reduced, having a major impact on the ability of hard hit countries such as Niger and Chad – where 9.7 million risk going hungry this year – to import food. There has also been a sharp downturn in the migration of workers – an important way that families cope in hard times – due to fears of violence.   Al Hassan Cissé, Oxfam Regional Food Security Policy Manager, said “The Sahel was already facing a serious and complex food crisis this year, and the growing security concerns in the region risk aggravating the situation further. Regional food markets are not able to function properly in such conditions, meaning greater assistance is rapidly needed to protect millions of people who risk going hungry across the Sahel.”   16 Mar 2012   All sides involved in fighting in northern Mali need to ensure that humanitarian groups have access to provide food and medical assistance to civilians fleeing or caught up in the conflict, says the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).   Armed men prevented the ICRC from carrying out an operation to evacuate thousands of civilians who were trapped by fighting in the northern town of Tessalit earlier this week.   “We arrived there (Tessalit) on Monday in the evening but we found some armed persons who didn’t allow us to work but we don’t know which group they belong to,” said Germain Mwehu, a spokesman for the ICRC’s regional delegation, based in Niger.   “We were unable to evaluate the humanitarian situation and the needs of civilians in the town and it is the first time that this is happening since the conflict started,” he added on the phone from Niamey, Niger’s capital.   “It is important for the Red Cross and humanitarian organisations to have access to persons who need our help,” Mwehu said.   The northern garrison town of Tessalit, close to Mali’s border with Algeria, became the latest to fall to rebels of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) who are seeking an independent home for the nomadic Tuareg people in northern Mali.   The MNLA, bolstered by heavily armed Malian Tuareg returning from fighting alongside pro-Gaddafi forces in Libya, started fighting government troops in January and have since gained swathes of territory.   More than 195,000 people have fled their homes since the conflict erupted, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.   OCHA says 100,000 of them have sought refuge in neighbouring Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Niger and Algeria.   Nearly 95,000 others are internally displaced in Mali where they face dire conditions and only a few aid agencies, including Medecins du Monde, Medecins Sans Frontieres, the Malian Red Cross and ICRC are able to reach them due to concerns about insecurity, according to OCHA.   “For those who have fled the fighting to areas which could be considered as safe…security, access to food and drinking water, sanitation remain daily concerns,” Juerg Eglin, head of the ICRC regional delegation in Niamey, said in a statement.   He said most of the host communities are not adapted to cope with such an influx of people, leaving the majority of the uprooted people staying in makeshift shelters on the outskirts of villages.   “It is vital that our teams come to their assistance without difficulty” Eglin added.   The ICRC and the Malian Red Cross started distributing food and household items to 28,000 internally displaced people in the northern region of Gao on Friday.   The conflict is taking place in an area that has been hit hard by food shortages due to drought brought on by erratic rainfall. Aid groups say the uprooted people are putting an extra burden on the depleted food resources of their host communities. Visit the related web page
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