Media


Baroness Nicholson exposes lead poisoning of gypsy children in Kosovan refugee camps

Baroness Nicholson MEP
12 November 2008

Today, 12 November at 10am, Baroness Nicholson MEP will chair a meeting in the European Parliament to call for the relocation of two UN refugee camps in Kosovo built close to toxic wasteland where a generation of children are facing ill health and premature death because of lead poisoning.

Four refugee camps were built on the tailing stands of lead mines in 1999 and were intended to be closed after 45 days of operation.  Nine years on, two of these camps still exist despite repeated medical evidence pointing to scandalously high levels of lead poisoning.

Author and expert of Roma history, Paul Polansky, will screen his new film, ‘Gypsy Blood’ which documents the extent of this humanitarian tragedy which has already caused 77 deaths, countless miscarriages and irreversible brain damage to hundreds of children.

Speaking ahead of the event, Baroness Nicholson MEP said:

“It is unacceptable that the blood poisoning of people in these refugee camps has been condoned for the past nine years.  Medical tests stretching back to 2000 show levels of lead in the blood that have never previously been seen and as a result a whole generation of children has been lost due to lead poisoning.

“It is surely time we bring an end to this forgotten tragedy.” ENDS

Notes to editors:
1.    The screening of ‘Gypsy Blood’ will take place at 10am on 12 November in meeting Room ASP5G375 followed by an open discussion with representatives from the European Commission, Council of Representatives, Human Rights Watch, Doctors of the World and the Society for Threatened Peoples. Journalists are welcome to attend the meeting.
2.    Please contact Jane Allen on + 44 (0) 7779 595609 or jane@principleconsulting.org.uk  for more quotes, information or an interview with Baroness Nicholson or Paul Polansky.
3.    Sandra Gidley MP is hosting a film screening of ‘Gypsy Blood’ and meeting in the Boothroyd Room of the Palace of Westminster on Monday 17 November at 5pm to highlight the issue to UK Parliamentarians.
4.    Baroness Nicholson plans to go to Kosovo to see the refugee camps in coming months.