Who Is Responsible for the Poisoning of 500 Romani?

By: Ilanna Sharon Mandel

In northern Kosovo a tragedy is unfolding – one that didn’t need to happen in the

first place. Over five hundred Romani (People of the Gypsy Culture) are dying of lead

poisoning. They live on toxic land in three displaced persons camps after being placed

on this poisoned terrain by the United Nations itself.

For almost seven hundred years, the Romani lived peacefully in a Mahala

(village) in southern Mitrovica, Kosovo. That changed in the summer of 1999. In a time

of violence and terror, Albanian ethnic extremists burned down the homes of almost eight

thousand Romani. They were left homeless and destitute. It is an unfortunate reality,

that the Romani, Europe’s largest minority are also the poorest people on the continent.

Centuries of persecution and prejudice have left them scarred and frustrated. In Kosovo,

the face of hatred towards the Romani reared itself in 1999 with the destruction of their

Mahala.

Fortunately, many who fled the rubble were somehow able to escape Kosovo.

Some had relatives in other European countries while others paid to be smuggled out.

Over five hundred were left behind. These Romani had faith though – faith that the

international organization many of us look to for aid in troubled times would take care of

them. They did. The UN placed the Romani into a school where they were found almost

a month later by American author, Paul Polansky. In his recent book, UN – Leaded

Blood, Paul tells the story of how he finally found them crammed into the school, still

wearing the clothes they left in, traumatized and crying.

Canadians Respond 2
to International Tragedy
Yet, the Romani knew they would eventually receive the proper help. They did.

The UN stepped in again and took them to the northern part of Mitrovica. The Romani

were told they would be much safer there. That turned out to be untrue. They were put

into IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps in Zitkovac, Cesmin Lug and Kablare, in

homes made of spare car parts, in the shadow of the notorious Trepca lead mine. Once

again, Paul Polansky advocated on their behalf. As a member of the Society for

Threatened Peoples, Paul begged the UN not to put the Romani onto poisoned land. He

expressed grave concern that the land was riddled with toxic wastes left behind by the

mine. The UN said it was safe, and the Romani would only have to stay forty-five days.

As the Romani moved into their new homes, the lead continued to flow – into the

land they lived on and the water they drank. In 2000, Dr. Andrej Andreyev, a UN

consultant conducted a study of the area. He recommended the Romani “be relocated to

a lower risk area.” The UN decided against moving the displaced Romani. Five years

later, the Romani still live in these poisoned camps. Over thirty have died. Lead

poisoning? Since the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) has conducted no autopsies or

issued no death certificates, who can say? Dr. Rokho Kim of WHO believes he can. He

conducted a thorough study of the area in February 2005. He wrote to me several weeks

ago and said; “I cannot agree with you more that these people should be evacuated from

the camps to safe places as soon as possible and that children (and pregnant women)

should be our top priority.” According to Dr. Kim, +

Irrespective of the overwhelming evidence that the UN itself may be culpable in

this situation, the Romani continue to live on poisoned land. However, the UN is doing

something. Recently, the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) gave permission for the
Canadians Respond 3
to International Tragedy
Trepca lead mines to re-open. The documents were forwarded to me by Dianne Post, an

attorney for the European Roma Rights Center and a woman desperately devoted to

helping these people.

The question is, “why would the UN allow the mines to re-open when they

already have factual evidence that these people suffer from lead poisoning?” It seems

that the lives of these five hundred Romani are insignificant in comparison to the money

the mines can generate. UNMIK is also proposing a resettlement plan. They will move

the Romani back to their old Mahala. New homes? No. Metal containers – no kitchens,

bathrooms, or windows.

This morning, I received another email from Ms. Post. In a letter dated 23

September 2005, from Philip S. Goldberg, Chief of Mission, U.S. Office Pristina, he

says, “My government has recently agreed to fund a $68,000 UNICEF health education

and awareness program for the children and mothers in these three camps. This

program will teach the dangers of lead poisoning and ways to minimize its effects

through proper hygiene and nutrition.”

Ms. Post responded on 27 September 2005; “You know all the awareness and

education in the world does not fix lead poisoning. ... All the hygiene and nutrition in the

world won't fix it either. In September 2005, I interviewed 13 of 15 families in Kablare

camp. Every one said they have no water, no electricity, not enough food, not enough

heat in the winter, and no medical care. Everyone save one told me they get food by

digging through garbage cans. That one who didn't was an elderly woman who was

given food by her neighbors. It seems cruel to educate people about hygiene when they

have no water and nutrition when they have no food.”

Canadians Respond 4
to International Tragedy
Why does the UN continue to drag its heels on this horrible tragedy? Perhaps

only they have the answer. Information is getting out via the following websites:

http://getleadout.cjb.net and www.paulpolansky.com. Canadian journalist, John Bosnitch

is in the area at this moment. He will be filming the reality of these camps and the horror

of this tragedy. Personally, I was assured by Foreign Affairs of Canada over two months

ago that they would respond. They didn’t. Canada knows of the situation. So does the

US, Britain and many others. We continue to await the outcome of this ongoing situation.