Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Not all that glitters is gold

60,000 people mine for gold in South Sudan, many driven to it by hunger. They hunt for gold in deep, claustrophobic mines with no safety equipment. The holes are so narrow, they can barely turn around. Wearing no safety jackets or helmets, the miners have just a headlamp to guide them in the bleak darkness.

Gold mining is big business in Sudan, particularly in the south. The land is endowed with many resources, many of which are undiscovered.  As well as gold, there is also believed to be copper, uranium and marble.

Many use their bare hands which they once used to harvest crops. The back-breaking labour is even carried out by women, children and elderly people who are driven to work because of widespread hunger.

Source

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