letter writing campaign


One way to help is to participate in this letter writing campaign below and to sign the petition at this .

GtLO is urging the UN through its representatives in the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to take immediate action as detailed by Refugees International ().

Please copy or write your own version of either the short or long version of the letter below and send to

-Soren Jessen-Petersen, special representative to the UN Secretary General and head of UNMIK.
Fax: +381 (0) 38-504-604, ext. 5406; email: Jessen-Petersen@un.org
surface mail: Soren Jessen-Petersen, UNMIK HQ, Pristina, KOSOVO

-Dr. Sergy Shevtchenko, UNMIK Health Officer for UNMIK, north Mitrovica.
email: Shevtchenko@un.org

Or you can use the automatic message forms below.

 short version


Dear Dr. Sergy Shevtchenko,
Dear Soren Jessen-Petersen,

I write to appeal to you, on humanitarian and human rights grounds, to immediately evacuate all camp residents from the three internal displacement camps of Chesminluk, Kablare and Ztikovac in Kosovo, in order to address the ongoing health crises as regards lead poisoning and the effect it is having on children and adults in the camp.

yours sincerely,

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 long version

Dear Dr. Sergy Shevtchenko,
Dear Soren Jessen-Petersen,

I write to appeal to you, on humanitarian and human rights grounds, to immediately evacuate all camp residents from the three internal displacement camps of Chesminluk, Kablare and Ztikovac in Kosovo, in order to address the ongoing health crises as regards lead poisoning and the effect it is having on children and adults in the camp.

The information available to me is that all parties involved agree that the lead contamination in the camps, which affects more than 600 people, constitutes a health emergency and that urgent action is necessary. I understand that one child's death due to lead poisoning has been already documented within the last year, another previously healthy, 26 year old male died suddenly from a brain tumor. These are by no means isolated incidents and the contamination and illness is widespread.

In view of this I also appeal to you to create an UNMIK international focal point with full support from the UN Country team to create an emergency action plan that will lead to everyone being completely removed from all three camps immediately.

The current situation is a clear violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which UNMIK is legally bound to uphold. Maintaining camps for internally displaced persons on land dangerously contaminated by toxic pollution constitutes a violation of Article 3 of the Declaration, which states that "everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person."

This cannot be allowed to continue. Each day lost is further damage done to a child's future, further damage done to families who have been through more than enough. It is time for action.

I appeal to you to intervene personally in this case.

yours sincerely,

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 Automatic message forms:

SEND A MESSAGE TO UN KOSOVO HEAD SOREN JESSEN-PETERSEN:
Name:
Email:
City:
State:
Your message to Soren Jessen-Petersen. Please be polite.:

SEND A MESSAGE TO DR. SERGY SHEVTCHENKO, UN HEALTH OFFICER FOR KOSOVO:
Name:
Email:
City:
State:
Your message to the Dr. Shevtchenko. Please be polite.: