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A30 world news
Diasabra 30 Januari 2021

Poles plan more protests over abortion law after detentions

Women's Strike said Friday be imposed in a European when there are congenital
that 14 people were detained Union member-state. defects is unconstitutional
Thursday, on the second because the Polish Constitu-
night of protests — which She called it a “tragedy” not tion protects human life.
were held despite a prohibi- only for women but for rule
tion on public gatherings due of law more broadly, noting The court is made up mostly
to the COVID-19 pandemic. that the erosion of judicial of appointees of the ruling
independence had paved the conservative party, Law and
Warsaw police said they had way to the top court's ruling Justice, who ruled on a mo-
detained several people for and that the detention of ac- tion brought by party law-
entering the grounds of the tivists was also unlawful. makers.
Constitutional Tribunal in
Warsaw. She accused authorities of The ruling would ban abor-
trying to “intimidate and ter- tion of fetus with a range of
Poland’s constitutional court rify” the protesters. abnormalities, from Down
ruled in October to ban abor- syndrome to fatal abnormali-
tions in cases of fetal disor- Women's Strike said that ties.
ders, even severe and fatal Suchanow is due to be re-
ones. The ruling finally be- leased on Saturday after she The only remaining legal jus-
came law on Wednesday, trig- is formally charged. It said it tifications for abortion under
gering the protests. considers her detention to be Polish law are if the woman’s
(AP) — Poles are gear- Among those detained is Kl- “political harassment,” accus- life or health is at risk or if a
ing up for a third night ementyna Suchanow, an au- Irene Donadio, a leading ing police of using “excessive pregnancy results from rape
of street protests against thor and activist who is one strategist with International force” against her and of de- or incest. To date, about 98%
a near-total abortion ban of the leaders of Polish Wom- Planned Parenthood Federa- priving her initially of access of all legal abortions in the
as several protesters re- en's Strike, a movement that tion, an international group to her lawyer. country — of which there
mained in police custody has organized mass protests promoting reproductive were 1,110 in 2019 — were
Friday after being de- against the restrictive abor- health and choice, said her In a more than 200-page rul- performed on the grounds of
tained the evening before. tion ruling. organization is appalled that ing, the constitutional court fetal malformations.
such a restrictive law could argued that allowing abortion

Thousands left homeless by storms, floods in Syria's Idlib

(AP) — For those who coming.” Syria’s conflict, which began being. The relief Syrian Response
have fled war to shelter in March 2011, has left half a Coordination Group, ac-
in Syria's last rebel-held Cutts' statement Thursday million people dead and half Another Idlib resident, Ali tive in northwestern Syria,
stronghold, suffering said at least 121,000 people in the country’s prewar popula- Ibrahim and his family of said the storm that began on
knows no end. 304 sites in the region were tion of 23 million displaced, five, had to spend a night in Thursday is hitting the same
badly affected when torren- with more than 5 million of the rain after their tent “col- areas that were struck earlier
A rainstorm lashing the tial rain and strong winds them living as refugees out- lapsed on our heads.” They this month. It called for in-
country's northwest these damaged or destroyed at least side the country. set it up again and now they ternational help to improve
days is spreading more mis- 21,700 tents. He said one are staying inside during the infrastructure in the tent set-
ery, after rain and flooding child was killed and three Residents and aid groups latest storm. tlements to limit damage in
less than two weeks ago killed other people were injured. have complained that the the future.
one child and destroyed hun- slow arrival of assistance into Ibrahim said his main prob-
dreds of tents, leaving tens of The rebel-held Idlib prov- the almost besieged region is lem in winter is not the rain International aid group
thousands of internally dis- ince and western parts of the result of last July’s deci- but their wood heater, which CARE said the storm has
placed Syrians homeless once Aleppo last year witnessed sion by the U.N. Security makes his six-year-old son, turned camps into lakes in
again. a crushing Russian-backed Council to limit for a year Ahmad, who has a heart some 87 sites for displaced
government offensive that humanitarian aid deliveries problem, cough continu- people, causing loss of the
The harsh weather condi- displaced hundreds of thou- to Syria’s northwest to just ously. only belongings people had
tions add to an already disas- sands and damaged dozens one crossing point from Tur- after years of conflict.
trous humanitarian situation of clinics and hospitals. More key. “We have no other choice
with the spread of the coro- than 3 million people, many but to turn it on, otherwise CARE has begun distributing
navirus and a worsening eco- of them already displaced by When the first strong storm we will freeze,” said the job- plastic sheets, blankets, mat-
nomic crisis. Syria’s nearly 10-year con- hit the region 10 days ago, less, 34-old man. The war tresses, floor mats, kitchen
flict, live in the region. Abed al-Yassin was sitting displaced his family from sets, and baby packages to
International aid groups with his wife, three sons and the village of Abad in nearby over 3,300 displaced Syrian
have warned that reduced The heavy rain led to floods one daughter when their tent northern province of Aleppo. families in 56 camps.
humanitarian access to this in some of the tent settle- collapsed and mud flooded
part of Syria will impede the ments, washing away many of in, forcing them to run to his
response to the effects of the the people’s belongings, in- neighbors' more solid tent.
storm in a region already suf- cluding food, at a time when The next morning, he started
fering from shortage of hu- the local currency briefly hit building another tent nearby,
manitarian aid. a record low of 3,600 Syrian making sure to surround it
pounds to the dollar on the with sand from all sides to
“The reality is that people black market this week, erad- prevent water running in.
in this area are facing a cata- icating much of the citizens'
strophic situation,” said Mark purchase power. “Conditions are miserable
Cutts, the U.N.’s deputy re- over here,” said al-Yassin,
gional humanitarian coor- The region has also reg- speaking over the phone as
dinator for Syria. “People in istered more than 20,000 a strong wind howled in the
these camps are desperate, cases of coronavirus and 382 background. Luckily, a few
and humanitarians are over- deaths amid a severe shortage days ago they received some
whelmed by a crisis that the of medical equipment. packs of pasta they are eating
United Nations warned was with vegetables for the time