Campaigners call on Obama to rescue Roma

For over a decade human rights campaigners have attempted to draw attention to the Romany refugees living in the toxic Osterode and Cesmin Lug camps in Mitrovica, Kosovo. Situated next to huge slag heaps from a lead mine, people living in the camps have the highest ever recorded amount of lead in their bloodstream. Many children suffer from permanent brain damage as a result and nearly 100 people have died. Yet despite numerous reports and TV programmes, nothing has been done.

But now campaigners are calling on President Barack Obama himself to intervene. “For eleven years we have been trying to get the UN to evacuate the Roma camps in Kosovo where the children have the highest lead levels in medical literature.” Says campaigner Paul Polanksy “More than 89 Roma/Ashkali have died in the camps. Every child born there has irreversible brain damage, if they live”.

 “Since the UN doesn’t want to listen to our pleas on behalf of these children we are starting a world-wide petition to President Obama asking him to evacuate the camps (less than 600 men, women and children) and medically treat them at the American military base in Kosovo.”

The campaigners are hoping 100,000 people will join them in signing the following petition:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/5/Save-Children-Dying-From-Lead-Poisoning

A film about the situation can also be viewed on the following website:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2010/jul/15/lead-refugees-mitrovica-kosovo