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Express Tribune
28-04-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Our history, our humanity
It was the last week of April, fifty-four years ago, when the head of UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan met with the Secretary General of the United Nations, U Thant in Bern, Switzerland. The meeting agenda was the rapidly changing situation in South Asia. As many as 100,000 refugees were crossing what was then East Pakistan, into India every day. A new humanitarian crisis was unfolding at an astronomical pace. As a result of the meeting between Prince Aga Khan and the UN Secretary General, for this first time in its history, UNHCR became the 'focal point' for all UN assistance for a particular crisis. The mandate of UNHCR as a 'focal point' was not simply aid delivery, but also coordination with local governments of Pakistan and India and international mobilisation of aid. The refugee crisis went unabated for months to come, and by December 1971, there were approximately 10 million refugees who had been displaced and needed support. In the months that followed the April meeting, there were plenty of political gestures, and manoeuvres from all sides. There were statements and counter-statements, accusations of mistreatment of refugees and nefarious goals. But caught in the middle were millions who were in a miserable condition. The UNHCR archives and reports of workers on the ground talk of immense suffering of poor people. Given the unsanitary conditions in the camps, diseases were rampant. Repeatedly cholera outbreaks were particularly acute. One British journalist noted, "Cholera is a horrible and humiliating way to die. The only mercy is that it is comparatively quick. The cholera wards are two buildings behind the main hospital block. There are no beds. The patients lie on metal sheets covering a concrete floor." Further down in the report, the same journalist painted an even bleaker picture: "Those who still can fan themselves weakly; those who are too far gone to do so are black with flies. There are men and women of all ages." While the journalist talked about men and women, the real impact was actually on young children. In an article published about the camps by a team of public health practitioners in the journal Lancet, it was reported that nearly 4,000 children died in one camp alone (the camp population was approximately 170,000). Estimates suggest between three hundred thousand and half a million people died in the camps before February 1972. I am quite certain that most Pakistani students would have never heard of this refugee crisis that impacted citizens of their own country, that still remains among the largest that the world has seen since the Second World War, and was by far the largest in the second half of the twentieth century. While the numbers here are mind numbing, the real point is not the numbers. The point is why we are not thinking deeply about our own past and choosing to stay ignorant. I consider myself among the ignorant as well. It was not until I looked in the archives of UNHCR (while working on a different project), and came across the papers of the public health workers in the camps that I learned about the human suffering of these refugees. But I do not want to stay ignorant anymore. My journey to learn about the challenge in those camps is far from over. Beyond the statistics and reports, I am still looking for more personal accounts of the lived experiences of those who were in the camps. I am quite aware that there are many different political perspectives on the events of that period, but I am also certain that most people, if given the opportunity to read and reflect, would find it in themselves to feel the pain of those who were forcibly displaced and became homeless, hungry and sick. I am confident that reading about the lives upended, of moments of loss, grief, fear and anxiety will make us care about others more. As episodes of forced displacement or forced repatriation happen all around us, may history, empathy and bonds of humanity, and not realpolitik, guide us!
Mint
22-04-2025
- General
- Mint
World Earth Day 2025: History, theme, significance - All you need to know about the need to protect the planet
As the world celebrates "Earth Day' on April 22, the festivities mark a consciousness occasion to raise awareness about concerning environmental issues and address the associated problems that impact our planet. Earth Day Network, which is now known as is credited with establishing the day as an initiative to mobilise the environmental movement worldwide to address concerning issues such as climate change, pollution and deforestation. ' founders created and organized the very first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. Since then, Earth Day Network also known as has been mobilizing over 1 billion people annually on Earth Day, and every other day, to protect the planet," the website states. The world's first Earth Day was observed in 1971 on April 22 when UN Secretary-General U Thant held a special ceremony at UN Headquarters in New York. In 1962, US Senator Gaylord Nelson lobbied the federal government to observe Earth Day, considering that the 'planet is at risk'. This day aims to make an impact as it demonstrates support for environmental protection through a range of events. To educate the masses across the globe, numerous events, rallies, and campaigns are organised on this day. The theme for Earth Day 2025 is 'Our Power, Our Planet.' It focuses on measures to achieve 'triple clean electricity' goal by 2030 using renewable energy. The day advocates protection of natural resources such as air, oceans, soil, ecosystems, wildlife, and human health by harnessing renewable sources of energy. Solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and tidal energy are in focus to create clean, inexpensive, and unlimited energy for the entire planet. This year, Earth Day marks its 55th anniversary with global activations aimed at mobilising a billion people worldwide to take transformative action for our planet for a sustainable future. Invest in energy-efficient systems. Reduce wastage of energy at home like electricity. Participate in clean-up drive. Plant a tree. Reduce plastic use. Adopt the concept of reduce, reuse, and recycle in daily life. Use clean energy. Promote sustainability. First Published: 22 Apr 2025, 08:10 AM IST
