Kosovo: Poisoned by Lead

1
The Cesmin Lug camp in northern Mitrovica, has the worst living conditions among the current camps, as well as very high levels of lead contamination. © 2006 Andrew Testa 53171
2
Two-year-old Nicolina Mehemeti sits with her father Naim (extreme right). The family left the displaced camps around Mitrovica because their daughter became ill from the effects of lead poisoning, and now live with relatives in central Kosovo. © 2006 Andrew Testa 53171
3
The "Alley of Health", constructed by the UN to encourage exercise in the local population lies a few hundred meters away from the smelting plant at Zvecan. The plant was closed down by the UN in 2000 because of the high levels of pollution it was producing. The ’Alley’ also lies a few hundred meters away from the slag heaps of toxic lead waste that are believed to be the cause for the massive contamination of the Roma camps in Mitrovica and Zvecan. © 2006 Andrew Testa 53171
4
This Roma family was deported from Germany to the now closed Kablare camp. Roma continue to be forcibly returned to Kosovo from Western Europe. © 2006 Andrew Testa 53171
5
Internally displaced Roma children play on lead contaminated land near the Zitkovac camp in Zvecan. The camp was closed in 2006 and its inhabitants voluntarily relocated to Osterode camp. © 2006 Andrew Testa 53171
6
Slag heaps of toxic lead waste lie a few hundred meters away from Cesmin Lug and Osterode camps in northern Mitrovica. © 2006 Andrew Testa 53171
7
A Roma girl washing a carpet in the Leposavic camp, a former Yugoslav army barracks. © 2007 Christophe Quirion 53171
Photographs tell the story of a decade of failure by the UN and others to provide adequate housing and medical treatment for the Roma, and the devastating consequences for the health of those in the camps in the Mitrovica region.
Region / Country
Topic