I was thinking in the middle of the night, when I couldn't sleep because it was too hot, about the crisis in the Horn of Africa. And I wondered - there do not seem to be any old people amongst the refugees. As some of those women and children have travelled for days to get there, I presume it is too far for the village's old people.
So, presumably, they stay behind - to die? It is a terrible thought, but I can't see why else almost all the refugees appear to be youngish.
These people have had hard lives from the day they were born, and I suspect they have lived their lives either hoping that things would improve or (more likely) expecting to live out their lives without an improvement.
I hope to blog again later in the day but wanted to add this thought on to yesterday's thoughts.
Tuesday 5 July 2011
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7 comments:
It won't make sleeping any easier but sadly I think you're right.
A solemn thought Pat - I daresay that not many of them actually make it to old age.
When times are hard the youngest and oldest are the first to fall to the side. It's awful.
I think Heather may be right. When I lived in Malawi there were very few old people at all.
How sad that we are not able to help these old and vulnerable people.
I had not thought of that sad fact.
I am sure you are correct: the old people either do not attempt the walk. or die along the way. Most of the children, too, it seems die - though most of them, soon after reaching the camps.
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