Tuesday 5 July 2011

A thought about yesterday's post.

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.

7 comments:

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

It won't make sleeping any easier but sadly I think you're right.

Heather said...

A solemn thought Pat - I daresay that not many of them actually make it to old age.

Pondside said...

When times are hard the youngest and oldest are the first to fall to the side. It's awful.

Crafty Green Poet said...

I think Heather may be right. When I lived in Malawi there were very few old people at all.

Reader Wil said...

How sad that we are not able to help these old and vulnerable people.

Cait O'Connor said...

I had not thought of that sad fact.

Dave King said...

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.