Witchcraft Killings Of People With Albinism Rose During Coronavirus Pandemic: UN Expert

Killings of people with albinism have increased during the coronavirus pandemic, the outgoing United Nations expert on albinism rights said Thursday

UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Jul, 2021 ) :Killings of people with albinism have increased during the coronavirus pandemic, the outgoing United Nations expert on albinism rights said Thursday.

The increase came as some people who plunged into poverty turned to witchcraft hoping to gain quick wealth during the crisis, Ikponwosa Ero, the UN's independent expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism, said in a statement.

The UN Human Rights Council passed a ground-breaking resolution earlier this month condemning human rights violations committed through witchcraft accusations and ritual attacks and called for international consultation and recommendations on the matter.

Ms. Ero, the expert, said she was "gratified that there has been much progress on several continents", over the last six years "but there is still much to be done." "Despite progress on many fronts, I was deeply saddened at the notable increase in reported cases of people with albinism being killed or attacked because of the mistaken believe that using their body parts in potions can bring good luck and wealth," she said.

"Even more tragically, the majority of victims have been children." Ero was named to the post by the Human Rights Council in 2015 and will be succeeded on August 1 by Ms. Muluka Anne Miti-Drummond of Zambia.

She cited a regional action plan on albinism in Africa and awareness-raising campaigns in Africa, and elsewhere, including in countries like Brazil, Japan and Fiji.

Research on albinism has increased more than tenfold and an explosion in data and reliable information has increased understanding of how the right to health, education, and on disability rights and racial discrimination, pertain to people with albinism.

There has also been increased understanding of the rights of women and children impacted by albinism and the need to protect against harmful practices. "While we have come very far in the fight against these heinous acts, the road ahead remains long and arduous", Ms. Ero said.