This is another
of Sebastião Salgado’s photographs included in his book, “Migrations” (to learn
a bit about Sebastião, go here
or here).
It was taken in March, 1997. The photograph is of a Rwandan refugee orphan by
the village of Biaro in Zaire. He is one of about 1,000 orphans whose parents died
because of sickness, lack of food, and exhaustion.
Sebastião describes
how orphans were lined up along the railroad tracks and told to await food—that
never arrived. Many laid on the grass awaiting medical care, but there was no
medicine left. Four days earlier, Sebastião explains, a relief train travelled
50 miles to distribute 120 tons of food, provided by the World Food Program, to
the thousands of refugees along the railway tracks. At Biaro, each family
received barely one pound of food. For shelter they had tents provided by the
UN or makeshift plastic tents. “They are left to die in the sun, although those
removing the corpses are never sure whether the person is dead or still breathing” (Salgado),
Sebastião says.
The refugee
situation in Zaire at the time was desperate. “No one knows the exact number of
Hutu [the attacked tribe] who fled Rwanda in the summer of 1994, but the UNHCR
after described this as the largest dislocation of a population its aid workers
had ever witnessed” (Hatzfield). With the refugee crisis today, consisting of
mostly Syrian refugees, we face similar problems of how to best get supplies
distributed to those in need. It is extremely difficult to get food, shelter,
and medical supplies to everyone, but it is important to continue distributing
everything we can.
Sebastião’s
picture of the little boy really touched me. He is so young and week, and is in
need of food and care. He has no shoes, only tattered clothes, and no one to
look after him. It makes me so sad to think of all the refugee children like
him across the world today.
Works Cited
Hatzfield, Jean.
"The Refugee Crisis." UNHCR
Described It as the Largest Dislocation of a
Population They Had Ever
Seen. Vanishing Point,
2011. Web. 11 Feb. 2016.
Salgado,
Sebastiao. Migrations: Humanity in Transition. 98. Photograph. New York:
Aperture
Foundation, Inc., 2000. 25. Print.
Great job! When I saw this picture it also touched me. It is so astounding to me to think of how much cruelty and need there is in the world. The story of the Rwandan Genocide is one marks one of the darkest spots in the late 20th century. When learning about all of this, it really makes you ponder on all that you have been given. I ask myself a lot whether I can help or not and always end up feeling so overwhelmed by the problem. Posting about the problem like you are is one way that we can make the small drop in the ocean that will cause the ripple to grow. Nicely done
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how we let the same things happen over and over. The situation in Syria is not the first time we've seen this. Sadly, to say I don't think it will be the last either. People have been doing horrible things to each other as far back as our written history. I share Salgado's hopeful attitude that things will improve, but it will take work.
ReplyDeleteI cannot imagine have less than a pound of food a day for my whole family. I cannot imagine the struggles of a refugee. It is also really sad that lots people died so much so that they do not know how many people died. I really wish people wouldn't cause war and pain but unfortunately war isn't going to go away any time soon so we need to do the best to alleviate the suffering. Also, it is so sad to see that a child is going through so much when they should playing with their friends enjoying their childhood.
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