Operation was successful but the patient died

The operation was a success but the patient died

Ted Folkert

August 13, 2015

Just imagine the unforeseen causes for the millions of displaced people with “no place to sleep” – those seeking refuge from their homes, cities, countries, and societies. Imagine entire communities fleeing from tyrannical invasion, political uprising, genocidal massacre, religious cleansing, territorial expansion, economic starvation – you name it.

The first frightening feeling of those seeking refuge or asylum is probably survival – that sickening feeling of fear, helplessness and despair, escaping death or painful injury, protecting your loved ones from harm. Standing your ground to protect your home or your way of life suddenly is blanked out of your psyche. That thought disappears from your mind as the only hope of survival is to flee. You take flight, leaving your home, your job, your education, your comfort, your community, your basic link to society.

You flee to another area, across the border into another country, across the ocean to a more protective society – seeking safety, food, shelter, a promise of survival and a peaceful existence.

This has only been going on for a few thousand years now – at least that we know of – way too soon to have determined a reasonable approach to lessen the pain and suffering, to place the refugees in comfortable arrangements, to provide hope of a peaceful existence, people helping other people.

This is a feeling that most of us have never experienced. One might be inclined to tell those who are frightened out of their wits to stay put, stand your ground, fight to the death, and don’t give up the struggle. However, most of those giving such advice would not follow their own advice. Most would flee. Most of those faced with the choice do just that, they flee.

The United Nations tells us that there are 60 million people who are now displaced by wars and other conflicts. Reading or listening to the news would tend to make those numbers sound understated since it has become a daily conversation. There are more refugees in the world today than at any time in recorded history. Some are migrating for economic reasons, some seeking asylum for political reasons, some running for lives from warfare, in fear of marauders, some escaping starvation and miserable living standards.

A troubling question for which we are not offered an estimate is: how many of these 60 million are displaced due to the “help” from powerful countries, like the US, as those “helping” countries ravage the areas with bombs, torpedoes, missiles and other forms of mass killing and mass destruction? That might be a number that would give us all that sick feeling. Many of those displaced from their homes and communities are still in their own countries but their city or community has been destroyed or is unsafe for human life. How many tent cities have we observed in news reports? We glance at them and view them as happening in distant places and to less advanced societies?

The question that seems unanswered regarding “help” is like that old cliché, are you here to help or are you part of the problem? Do we, the “helpers”, provide temporary housing, food supplies, health assistance? Do we provide permanent housing, livelihood opportunities, employment, or education for those seeking survival? We attempt to provide some of these, but what do we provide for the most part? For the most part we seem to provide complete destruction of the areas vacated and relinquished to the invaders, so completely that the areas are suddenly uninhabitable for anyone, especially those who had hoped to return to their homes and communities. Entire business districts are leveled to the ground. The housing is destroyed, the utilities are destroyed, potable water destroyed, health facilities destroyed, churches destroyed, entire communities destroyed. It becomes difficult to recognize where the help has landed.

How would we feel if suddenly all of our worldly possessions had to be discarded or vacated – all of our clothing, furnishings, transportation, employment, schools, churches, health facilities, government, and protection – literally all of our possessions and necessities of life. There is no way we can imagine it. It would be inconceivable, unimaginable.

We have a functioning United Nations. Why is there no united force that is organized, educated, and trained to deal with refugees – trained to move in immediately and provide temporary food, shelter and clothing, trained to rebuild communities and provide necessary services while livability is being restored? We move in quickly with bombers, why can’t we move in quickly with human assistance?

We have literally destroyed much of Iraq and Afghanistan and now are helping to destroy much of Syria and other Mideast countries.

Are we winning the battles and losing the wars? Are we destroying cities to save them, destroying countries and communities to save them? Was the operation a success but the patient died?

One report states that there were 14 million people displaced in 2014. Those who were able to return home numbered 125,000. That would be less than 1 returning home out of 100 displaced – an embarrassing and sad record.

Some numbers of refugees and asylum seekers to think about: Syria – 11 million; Iraq – 4 million; Ukraine – 4 million; Congo – 4 million; South Sudan – 2 million; Pakistan – 2 million; Nigeria – 1 million; Myanmar – 1 million; Jordan – 2 million; West Bank & Gaza – 2 million – and the list goes on and on.

It seems we could do better.

Think about It!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.