Fears of a humanitarian crisis

"BRUZGI, Belarus — The tense standoff on the border between Poland and Belarus descended into a dangerous melee on Tuesday morning when Polish border guards used water cannons and tear gas to repel what they said was an attempt by migrants to breach the heavily guarded frontier.
The use of water cannons and tear gas on Tuesday only added to the brutal conditions in the increasingly desperate situation for the migrants stranded on the border.

The migrants are stranded in the thick forests that straddle the border, facing bitter cold and an approaching winter. They are unable to enter the European Union or go back into Belarus. Several have already died from hypothermia.

The Polish government has been particularly forceful in its attempts to keep people out, sending thousands of soldiers into the frontier zone. The hard-line policy has played well with Poland’s right-wing nationalists.

While the crossing at Bruzgi has been the focus of some of the most intense standoffs, the border between Belarus and Poland stretches some 250 miles and the heartbreaking tales of suffering and loss have been growing by the day as the standoff shows no signs of being resolved.
At least 11 people have died at the border in recent weeks.

Ahmed Al Hasan, 19, was buried on Monday in the small Polish village of Bohoniki, on the outskirts of Sokolka, near the border with Belarus.

And as colder temperatures begin to grip the region, there are fears of further tragedy among the migrants, with thousands of men, women and children stranded in freezing conditions between the razor wire and border guards."

 

 What does the behavior of the Lithuanian government look like to the world community? This is barbaric, particularly cruel treatment given by right-wing nationalists. After such a demonstration of our stupidity, will talented, educated, and intelligent people want to cooperate with us, wild nationalists? We have something itchy, just not really a G-spot. Maybe the Germans will rush to reward us for killing a couple of thousand children in our forests using water cannons and cold to defend Germany from migrants? Are you kidding? Normal people will turn away from us with contempt.