REMEMBERING THE VICTIMS
Remembering the victims
THE sums donated to the Omagh survivors' fund have given me heart.
Many empathise and want to support neighbours who are suffering so much.
But I also think of a letter I received from a friend in Nairobi.
A fortnight before Omagh, the Nairobi bomb killed 263 people, injuring 5,000 (60 have gone blind, with 14 having to have their eyeballs removed).
The health service in Kenya is not free: families have to pay horrendous medical expenses, as well as large initial sums on travelling to the city to locate family members.
The absence, even temporarily, of a family breadwinner imperils the payment of rent, school fees etc.
As in Omagh, a large part of the city centre is ruined and many have lost their jobs (with no alternative income in benefits).
The survivors of the Omagh bomb will carry their pain, external and internal, with them for years to come.
So will the survivors of the Nairobi bomb.
But there is a contrast in the material resources and support available to both groups.
Without taking a penny from Omagh, I hope that it is possible to keep Nairobi in mind. Donations may be sent to address below.
Caring
CMS Ireland,
Church of Ireland House,
61-67 Donegall Street,
Belfast BT12 2FH
THE sums donated to the Omagh survivors' fund have given me heart.
Many empathise and want to support neighbours who are suffering so much.
But I also think of a letter I received from a friend in Nairobi.
A fortnight before Omagh, the Nairobi bomb killed 263 people, injuring 5,000 (60 have gone blind, with 14 having to have their eyeballs removed).
The health service in Kenya is not free: families have to pay horrendous medical expenses, as well as large initial sums on travelling to the city to locate family members.
The absence, even temporarily, of a family breadwinner imperils the payment of rent, school fees etc.
As in Omagh, a large part of the city centre is ruined and many have lost their jobs (with no alternative income in benefits).
The survivors of the Omagh bomb will carry their pain, external and internal, with them for years to come.
So will the survivors of the Nairobi bomb.
But there is a contrast in the material resources and support available to both groups.
Without taking a penny from Omagh, I hope that it is possible to keep Nairobi in mind. Donations may be sent to address below.
Caring
CMS Ireland,
Church of Ireland House,
61-67 Donegall Street,
Belfast BT12 2FH
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0427
Published Date: 01-Oct-98
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