Egypt was plunged back into violence today as more than 230 protesters were killed by Egyptian security forces following sit-ins by supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi.
According to the New York Times, the interim government has now declared a state of emergency for at least a month. As the newspaper notes, the decision pretty much returns Egypt to the state of martial law that it experienced under former president Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year regime.
Egypt is having an extremely difficult time transitioning to democracy and the human toll has been extreme. In addition to the civilians, nearly 40 police officers were killed today and 900 people have been injured.
The 34-year old non-profit MercyCorps has already been in Egypt since the country exploded in 2011 and Mubarak was forced resign. The organization’s mission, according to its website, is “alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities.” It has its work cut out for it in Egypt. Among the other countries MercyCorps is operating right now are Syria (as the refugee crisis reaches greater proportions), the West Bank and Gaza, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, South Sudan, and Somalia.
Aug. 14: MercyCorps http://www.mercycorps.org/
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