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People with albinism "fear attack from relatives"

People with albinism "fear attack from relatives"

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A surge in attacks has been reported against people with albinism in several African countries in the run-up to national elections, a UN human rights expert has warned.

Ikponwosa Ero, the first UN independent defender of the rights of persons with albinism, whose skin, hair and eyes lack colour because of a genetic disorder, has called for political parties to distance themselves from such violations.

Ms Ero said that people with the condition live in constant fear of attack, sometimes by their own relatives.

Meanwhile, aid worker Mafalda Soto Valdes explained how people with albinism (PWA) face more danger from a natural source, the sun, which causes skin cancer and results in less than two per cent of PWAs living beyond 40 years old.

Here’s Daniel Johnson’s report from Geneva.

Duration: 5'05"

Photo Credit
UNIFEED (video capture)