Human rights groups say tsunami relief campaign marred by abuses News
Human rights groups say tsunami relief campaign marred by abuses

[JURIST] Three human rights groups Wednesday criticized the global aid campaign [ActionAid press release] created to assist those affected by the 2004 tsunami disaster [JURIST news archive], saying it has "trampled" on the human rights of many survivors. The Habitat International Coalition, the People's Movement for Human Rights Learning, and ActionAid International [advocacy websites] said the relief effort has been successful in some respects, but also indicated that thousands of survivors do not have adequate healthcare and are still living in substandard housing. The human rights groups also revealed discrimination in aid distributions, arbitrary arrests, and sexual- and gender-based violence. The groups' report [text PDF] is based on visits made last November to over 50,000 people in Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Maldives. Reuters has more.