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world news Diaranson 4 Mei 2022

Ukrainian refugees at camp in Mexico City await US action

(AP) — On a dusty field countries such as Mexico. announced in late March that
on the east side of Mex- To qualify people must have it would accept up to 100,000
ico’s sprawling capital, been in Ukraine as of Feb. 11; Ukrainian refugees, hun-
some 500 Ukrainian refu- have a sponsor, which could dreds entered Mexico daily
gees are waiting in large be family or an organization; as tourists in Mexico City or
tents under a searing sun meet vaccination and other Cancun and flew to Tijuana
for the United States gov- public health requirements; to wait for a few days – even-
ernment to tell them they and pass background checks. tually only a few hours – to
can come. be admitted to the U.S. at a
Polo said U.S. government San Diego border crossing
The camp has only been open officials had told her it should on humanitarian parole. Ap-
a week and 50 to 100 people take a week to process people, pointments at U.S. consul-
are arriving every day. Some but it appeared like it was just ates in Europe were scarce,
have already been to the U.S. beginning. Some of the first and refugee resettlement
border in Tijuana where they arrivals had received emails takes time, making Mexico
were told they would no lon- from the U.S. government the best option.
ger be admitted. Others ar- acknowledging they received her home because Russian
rived at airports in Mexico their documents and the doc- Traveling through Mexico troops indiscriminately shoot She said they felt safe inside
City or Cancun, anywhere uments of their sponsors, but was circuitous, but a loose- up cars traveling in the area, the camp, but were asking the
they could find a ticket from she had heard of no sponsors knit group of volunteers, he said. government about the possi-
Europe. being approved yet. largely from Slavic churches bility of moving the camp to
in the western United States, “She said it’s a very danger- a safer area.
“We are asking the U.S. gov- “These people cannot stay in greeted refugees at the Tijua- ous situation,” said Mika-
ernment to process faster,” this camp, because it is tem- na airport and shuttled them beridze, who traveled to Mykhailo Pasternak and his
said Anastasiya Polo, co- porary,” Polo said. More than to a recreation center that the Mexico alone. girlfriend Maziana Hzyho-
founder of United with 100 of the camp’s residents city of Tijuana made available zyshyn, waited at the en-
Ukraine, a nongovernmental are children. for several thousand to wait. The Mexico City camp pro- trance to the complex Mon-
organization, that collaborat- A wait of two to four days vides a safe place to wait. It day afternoon. Both suffering
ed with the Mexican govern- Nearly 5.5 million Ukraini- was eventually shortened to a was erected inside a large from an apparent head cold,
ment to establish the camp. ans, mostly women and chil- few hours as U.S. border in- sports complex, so Ukraini- they planned to move to a
She said that after a week’s dren, have fled Ukraine since spectors whisked Ukrainians ans could be seen pushing hotel for a day or two to try
time none of the refugees Russia invaded its smaller in. strollers with children along to get some sleep and recover
there “are even close to the neighbor on Feb. 24, accord- sidewalks, playing soccer and before returning to the camp.
end of the program.” ing to the U.N. High Com- That special treatment ended volleyball, even swimming.
missioner for Refugees. the day Mikaberidze arrived Pasternak had left the U.S.
The program, Uniting for in Tijuana. However, the refugees have to help Hzyhozyshyn get in.
Ukraine, was announced by Giorgi Mikaberidze, 19, is been warned that while they The two had spent several
the U.S. government April among the waiting. He ar- “We want to go to America are free to leave the complex, days in Tijuana before flying
21. Four days later, Ukrai- rived in Tijuana April 25 and because (we’re) already here, no one is responsible for their to Mexico City and arriving
nians showing up at the found the U.S. border closed. some don’t have even money safety. Iztapalapa, the capital’s at the camp Sunday.
U.S.-Mexico border were He complained that the U.S. to go back,” he said. most populated borough, is
no longer exempted from a government had given so lit- also one of its most danger- The couple stood out on the
pandemic-related rule that tle notice, because many peo- Mikaberidze was visiting ous. streets of Iztapalapa and ap-
has been used to quickly ex- ple like himself were already relatives in Georgia, south peared to be withering under
pel migrants without an op- in transit. He went from be- of Ukraine, when the Rus- The Mexican government the relentless sun. The cou-
portunity to seek asylum for ing just yards from the Unit- sian invasion occurred and was providing security at the ple had known each other for
the past two years. ed States to some 600 miles was not able to return. His camp with about 50 officers, six years.
(966 kilometers) now. mother remains in their vil- Polo said. The Navy had also
Instead, they would have to lage near Kharkhov in east- set up a mobile kitchen to “She’s my love,” Pasternak
apply from Europe or other When the U.S. government ern Ukraine, afraid to leave provide meals. said.

UN: Obesity levels in Europe at ‘epidemic proportions’

(AP) — The World Health nearly 60% of adults and a ropean office said the preva- than 1 million deaths every
Organization says the third of children in one of lence of obesity among adults year. Kluge also said that CO-
rates of people who are those categories. is higher across the continent VID-19 interventions like
obese and overweight than any other world region Scientists have long warned school closures and lock-
in Europe have hit “epi- In a report issued Tuesday, — except for the Americas. that being heavy significantly downs often raised the risk of
demic proportions,” with the U.N. health agency’s Eu- increases the risk of numer- gaining weight when people
“Alarmingly, there have been ous diseases, including respi- turned to unhealthy diets and
consistent increases in the ratory conditions, diabetes were forced to be sedentary.
prevalence of overweight and and at least 13 cancers. It is
obesity in the WHO Euro- also the leading risk factor for WHO called for countries
pean region and no member disability. to adopt policies to improve
state is on track to reach the “environmental factors”
target of halting the rise in “During the COVID-19 linked to obesity, including
obesity by 2025,” the report pandemic, we experienced taxing sugary drinks, restrict-
said. Among the countries it the true impact of the obesity ing the marketing of un-
counts in its Europe region, epidemic,” WHO Europe di- healthy foods to children and
WHO said the highest rates rector Dr. Hans Kluge wrote efforts to improve physical
of obesity were seen in Tur- in the report. He noted that activity.
key, Malta, Israel and Britain. the obese were “more likely
to experience severe out- In the U.S., the Centers for
WHO said being overweight comes of the COVID-19 dis- Disease Control and Preven-
or obese is among the leading ease spectrum, including in- tion says about 74% of Amer-
causes of death in the region tensive care unit admissions icans over age 20 are obese or
and is responsible for more and death.” overweight.