Back in Mitrovica, in Northern Kosovo, twice this week. Much of the visits were spent talking about efforts to rebuild the part of Mitrovica known as Roma Mahalla*.
In 1999, following the withdrawal of Yugoslav troops, and as NATO was deploying, the Roma Mahalla in Mitrovica was burnt down in a terrible revenge attack. The Mahalla had been home to around 8,000 Roma, and was probably the largest Roma settlement in Europe. The inhabitants of the Mahalla fled. Some ended up in Serbia and elsewhere throughout Europe, but many ended up in makeshift camps in Northern Kosovo. This was meant to be a temporary solution; nine years later, many are still stuck there.
To make this worse, many of the temporary camps were established on old industrial sites - these were contaminated by heavy metals, mostly lead. Over the years, the Roma became exposed to heavy metal poisoning. The children were especially affected. In 2005, following WHO intervention , many of the families were evacuated to a cleaner area; some, however, refused to move fearing they would be moved from pillar to post, and thinking that, if they left, they would lose their leverage to find a permanent solution. Many families remain in these camps - and it now emerges that the 'safer' camps may themselves be subject to lead contamination.
It's clear that the Roma must be given a long-term solution that gives them a secure home, access to services, and a chance at prosperity. From 2005, the Mitrovica municipal government began work with the UN in Kosovo to rebuild the Roma Mahalla , and put in place opportunities (education, employment, access to services) that the Roma have rarely - if ever - enjoyed in the past. In the lead in calling for aid, perhaps for the first time, is the Roma community itself, now organising politically.
*Mahalla is the Turkish word for neighbourhood, in common usage thanks to Kosovo's Ottoman past.
Posted at 10:07 16 June 2008 by Ruairi O'Connell |
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