Human Security Gateway: Refugees and Internally Displaced People

Displacement in Afghanistan: Post-2014 Origins, Current Situation and Potential Flows

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:35:04 -0700

This document provides an overview of the origins and current challenges of displacement flows by refugees and IDPs in Afghanistan. Furthermore, it presents, based on an open-source research, the potential flows that could occur in Afghanistan post 2014. Related information is available at www.cimicweb.org. Hyperlinks to source material are highlighted in blue and underlined in the text. SOURCE: NATO Civil-Military Fusion Centre

UNHCR Asylum Trends 2012: Levels and Trends in Industrialized Countries

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 10:34:58 -0700

Statistical overview of asylum applications lodged in Europe and selected non-European countries. SOURCE: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Protecting Migrants During Times of Crisis: Immediate Responses and Sustainable Strategies

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 10:40:35 -0700

The International Dialogue on Migration 2012 aims to enhance synergies between humanitarian and migration perspectives in the search for appropriate responses to migration crises. The second workshop in the series focuses on the plight of migrants who are caught up in crises in their countries of transit or destination. When countries of destination or transit experience political turmoil, conflict or natural disasters, their migrant populations often have few means to escape and ensure their own safety. Risks and vulnerabilities are exacerbated when migrants are in an irregular situation, or when countries of origin lack the resources, capacity and access to protect and assist their nationals abroad. Some migrants may be unable or unwilling to leave the crisis zone, while others may be forced to cross borders into neighbouring countries. As a result, repercussions may be felt regionally and beyond. Ultimately, migrants may escape crises by returning or being evacuated to their countries of origin, but challenges do not end there: countries of origin may struggle to receive and reintegrate large numbers of returnees, while the sudden loss of remittances may leave their families and home communities without income. The departure of migrant workers may also leave gaps in the labour markets of countries of destination which may in fact depend on migrant labour for post-crisis recovery and reconstruction.

The overall objective of the workshop is to support States in devising a framework of policies and actions to address the situation of migrants in crisis situations. Consistent with IOM's mandate and Strategy Document (activity 7), the IDM provides a forum for IOM Member and Observer States, as well as international and non-governmental organizations and other partners, to share experiences and perspectives on migration matters with a view to identifying practical solutions and fostering greater cooperation. SOURCE: International Organization for Migration

Russia: IDPs Increasingly Neglected Despite Continuing Needs

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 10:34:10 -0700

More than 14 years after they first fled their homes, at least 29,000 people are still internally displaced due to armed conflict and violence in the North Caucasus, and an unknown number of people are still displaced elsewhere in Russia.

Displacement induced by the threat and impact of natural hazards, especially floods and wild fires, continues to be significant in Russia. Though information on such displacement and the current situation of these IDPs is scarce.

Government figures of the number of internally displaced are not in line with international standards and international organisations stopped compiling statistics on IDPs displaced by armed conflict and violence in 2011. The lack of accurate figures limits the government’s ability to effectively uphold IDPs’ rights and address their specific needs.

Despite massive reconstruction and the declaration that the conflicts in North Ossetia and Chechnya are resolved, violence and human rights abuses are ongoing and impunity of insurgents and law enforcement authorities continues in the region. This obstructs sustainable return and integration.

The protracted conflict and insecurity, as well as dwindling assistance, lack of permanent housing and economic stagnation are obstacles to their self-reliance. Internal displacement is losing attention but not pertinence. SOURCE: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre

Colombia: Contested Spaces Briefing Paper

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 10:18:27 -0700

Colombia has one of the longest-running armed conflicts in the world, as well as the highest number of internally displaced persons (IDPs). Oxfam research in the department of Nariño and in the Montes de María area of the department of Bolivar found that the Colombian government’s stabilization program (the National Consolidation Plan, or NCP) has not promoted peace, good governance, or sustainable development, as intended. The United States is one of the leading donors to NCP, along with Spain and the Netherlands. In the areas where we carried out our research, our interviewees clearly indicated that the NCP and other stabilization efforts had failed to make communities more secure, often leaving them less safe. We found severe limitations in attempts to promote conflict-sensitive development. This briefing paper explores these issues and offers recommendations to improve both security and development in Nariño and Montes de María. SOURCE: Oxfam

Disasters and Displacement: Improving Preparedness and Protection

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 10:16:20 -0700

In the past, forced displacement was usually the result of conflict and related human rights violations. However, people increasingly are being forced to leave their homes as a result of disasters. Over the past few years the number of people displaced as a result of natural disasters has far exceeded those displaced by conflict. Why is this happening? What are the consequences? And what can be done about it?

These issues were the focus of a workshop on forced displacement and natural disasters co-hosted by Norway and Switzerland in Vienna on September 5, 2012. The workshop brought together representatives from states as well as international and non-governmental organizations to share their experiences in dealing with post-disaster displacement and to discuss ways of finding durable solutions for those affected by such dramatic events. It also provided an opportunity to identify and close gaps in international law and policy, particularly in relation to the rights of persons who cross borders seeking refuge as a result of natural disasters. The workshop participants were also briefed on the new Nansen Initiative, an intergovernmental process launched by Norway and Switzerland that seeks normative and institutional measures to protect people displaced by natural disasters. SOURCE: International Peace Institute

Is Peaceful Political Transition in Afghanistan Possible?

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:54:13 -0700

This is a transcript of an event held at Chatham House on 12 March 2013. The panel discussed the international community's role in supporting Afghanistan after the 2014 withdrawal of international troops, including strategies for building up local security, the possibility of reconciliation with the Taliban, and how to address ongoing humanitarian needs in the country. Speakers included: Dr Robert Johnson, Jawed Nader, Matt Waldman. SOURCE: Chatham House

Syria: The Evolving Problem of Competing Militias

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:06:33 -0700

The war in Syria is currently in a particularly complex phase with conflicting reports of rebel progress. Jihadist militias are growing in strength and capability, making it probable that they will have considerable influence and even power in a post-Assad Syria. At the same time, there are indications that elements supporting the Assad regime, including the Iranian government, recognise this and are planning for the aftermath with their own militias. SOURCE: Oxford Research Group

A Global Review: UNHCR’s Engagement with Displaced Youth

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:43:00 -0700

UNHCR aims to be a fully age, gender and diversity inclusive organisation within the next four years. Yet the 2011 global analysis of UNHCR’s accountability frameworks for Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) revealed that only 14% of its managers worldwide reported full achievement of targeted actions for adolescents. This stands as one of the top four gaps in implementing the AGD policy.

This review explores UNHCR’s engagement with displaced youth, refugees and IDPs, by analysing the agency’s mandate in relation to youth through its policies, guidelines and strategies, institutional infrastructure, approaches to identifying and responding to the needs of displaced youth, current funding, programmes and monitoring and evaluation processes. As general guidance this review uses the UN definition of youth, that is, the age group of 15-24 years; yet it recognises ‘youth’ as a social construct reflecting local understandings.

As age-disaggregated data is not currently collected for young people in the age group of 15-24 years, this report draws heavily on primary data collected as part of this review. The methodology includes a survey of selected UNHCR staff, interviews with field-based staff and implementing partners, and focus group discussions with youth in different displacement settings giving fascinating insight into current views, perceptions, programmes and operations from UNHCR itself as well as young displaced people. SOURCE: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Refugees and the Rashaida: Human Smuggling and Trafficking from Eritrea to Sudan and Egypt

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:27:30 -0700

Eritreans have been seeking asylum in east Sudan for more than four decades and the region now hosts more than 100,000 refugees1. East Sudan has also become a key transit region for those fleeing Eritrea. One route, from East Sudan to Egypt, the Sinai desert and Israel has gained increasing attention. According to UNHCR statistics, the number of Eritreans crossing the border from Sinai to Israel has increased from 1,348 in 2006 to 17,175 in 2011. Coupled with this dramatic growth in numbers, the conditions on this route have caused great concern. Testimonies from Eritreans have increasingly referred to kidnapping, torture and extortion at the hands of human smugglers and traffickers.

The smuggling route from Eritrea to Israel is long, complex and involves many different actors. As such, it cannot be examined in its entirety in a single paper. This analysis consequently focuses on the movement of people from Eritrea to east Sudan, and from east Sudan to Egypt. A review of testimonies from Eritrean refugees and key informant interviews provide an understanding of the situation from the available data.

The paper is structured as follows. Following brief contextual information the paper opens with an examination of motivations and aspirations to leave Eritrea based on testimonies collected by UNHCR and NGOs in Israel and Cairo. This includes an overview of the current situation in Eritrea and the importance of the Eritrean diaspora in decision making. Section two addresses the changing refugee dynamics in east Sudan and why Shagarab refugee camp has become predominantly a place of transit rather than refuge.

The following section examines the role of smugglers in east Sudan. One group of smugglers mentioned in many testimonies are from an ethnic group known as the Rashaida. In order to explain their ubiquity in testimonies this section places human smuggling in the context of wider processes of trade, underdevelopment in the region and Sudan-Eritrean relations. It argues that the actions of a small number of Rashaida involved in the process of smuggling Eritreans are one of the products, not causes, of insecurity in the region. However, this should not detract from or lessen the human rights violations taking place along the route. To conclude the challenges and possibilities for protection, assistance and security are reviewed.

This paper is not a definitive guide to the situation and some pertinent limitations should be stressed. The situation is highly complex, fluid and subject to rapid change. There is currently research being undertaken that will detail specific routes, locations and individuals involved whereas this paper will outline trends and historical developments from the available literature. It is also important to note the testimonies examined in this paper were collected from those who had reached NGOs and UNHCR offices in Egypt or Israel and had specific protection concerns.2 There is therefore a bias within the testimonies and they do not reflect the myriad journeys and experiences of those who did not reach either of these destinations. SOURCE: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Sliding into the Fray: Jordan and Israel in the Syrian Conflict

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:21:52 -0700

Fearful of the fallout from the rise of Islamism, global jihad and chemical weapons, Israel and Jordan have adopted a policy of containment and damage limitation towards Syria’s two-year civil war, leaving the warring parties to spar with and weaken each other. The two countries have expressed hopes for the demise of the Assad regime, but unlike Syria’s other neighbours – Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq – they have stopped short of allowing the rebels to open conduits through their territories. Unlike Syria’s other crossings, official border crossings into Jordan have remained either closed or in government hands. The Syrian uprising began in the south, in Dara’a on Jordan’s borders, but bereft of supply lines to sustain itself, it quickly moved north, closer to borders where the rebels were better able to procure the fuel, arms, and men required to take and hold territory. However, Israel’s and Jordan’s hands-off posture could be changing. Israel has reportedly bombed a consignment of Syrian arms apparently bound for Lebanon. And such is Jordan’s need to replenish its depleted coffers and so great its fear of popular discontent that in return for increased financial aid it is increasingly bowing to Saudi pressure to open its borders to rebel supplies, bolstering the performance of rebel forces in the south after a series of setbacks. Jordan hopes that Western reinforcements along its northern border will protect it against the chances of blowback. But the risks are manifold. Unlike Iraq’s conflict, from which Jordan was cushioned by 700 kilometres of desert, the war in Syria rages on Jordan’s populous northern border. Already 300,000 refugees have spilled into the kingdom, and both Jordan and Israel fear the conflict could increasingly travel with them. SOURCE: Norwegian Peacebuilding Resource Centre

Violence, Vulnerability and Migration: Trapped at the Gates of Europe

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:11:29 -0700

Over the last ten years, as the European Union (EU) has tightened its border controls and increasingly externalised its migration policies, Morocco has changed from being just a transit country for migrants en route to Europe to being both a transit and destination country by default. MSF’s experience demonstrates that the longer sub-Saharan migrants stay in Morocco the more vulnerable they become. This preexisting vulnerability, related to factors such as age and gender, as well as traumas experienced during the migration process, accumulates as they are trapped in Morocco and subjected to policies and practices that neglect, exclude and discriminate against them.

MSF’s data demonstrates that the precarious living conditions that the majority of sub-Saharan migrants in Morocco are forced to live in and the wide-spread institutional and criminal violence that they are exposed to continue to be the main factors influencing medical and psychological needs. MSF teams have repeatedly highlighted and denounced this situation, yet violence remains a daily reality for the majority of sub-Saharan migrants in Morocco. In fact, as this report demonstrates, the period since December 2011 has seen a sharp increase in abuse, degrading treatment and violence against sub-Saharan migrants by Moroccan and Spanish security forces. This report also reveals the widespread violence carried out by criminal gangs, including bandits and human smuggling and human trafficking networks. It provides a glimpse into the shocking levels of sexual violence that migrants are exposed to throughout the migration process and demands better assistance and protection for those affected.

These unacceptable levels of violence should not overshadow the achievements that have been made in recognition and respect for sub-Saharan migrants’ right to health over the last ten years. Progress has been made, however considerable challenges remain, particularly with regard to non-emergency, secondary care, care for people with mental health problems and protection and assistance for survivors of sexual violence. Further investment and reform of the healthcare system is needed, however the impact of the progress made to date and any future reforms will be limited unless concrete action is taken to address the discrepancy between European and Moroccan policies which view migration through a security prism and criminalise, marginalise and discriminate against sub-Saharan migrants in Morocco and those which protect and uphold their fundamental human rights.

This report highlights the medical and psychological consequences of this approach and the cumulative vulnerability of the significant numbers of sub-Saharan migrants who are trapped in Morocco. In doing so it calls, once again, on the Moroccan authorities to respect their international and national commitments to human rights, develop and implement protection mechanisms and ensure that sub- Saharan migrants are treated in a humane and dignified manner, no matter what their legal status. SOURCE: Medecins Sans Frontieres // Doctors Without Borders

Childhood Under Fire: The Impact of Two Years of Conflict in Syria

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:04:50 -0700

In a new report, "Childhood Under Fire," launched to mark two years of violence in Syria, Save the Children details the impact of the conflict on children, showing that many are struggling to find enough to eat; are living in barns, parks and caves; are unable to go to school with teachers having fled and schools being attacked; and that damage to sanitation systems is forcing some children to defecate in the street.

Citing new research carried out amongst refugee children by Bahcesehir University in Turkey, the report also reveals the extent to which children have been directly targeted in the war, with one in three children reporting having been hit, kicked or shot at.

Combined with the breakdown of society in parts of the country and more than three million people displaced, the conflict has led to the collapse of childhood for millions of youngsters.

"Childhood under Fire" details how some young boys are being used by armed groups as porters, runners and human shields, bringing them close to the frontline, while some girls are being married off early to 'protect' them from a widely-perceived threat of sexual violence. SOURCE: Save the Children

Syria's Children: A Lost Generation

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 10:26:54 -0700

As the crisis in Syria enters its third tragic year, and the daily headlines focus on military clashes and political efforts to resolve the crisis, the world must not forget the human realities at stake. The risk of losing a generation grows with every day that the situation deteriorates, while the progress made for Syrian children in previous years is undone.

All around them, their dreams and opportunities for the future are being lost. And as they lose their childhoods . . . as their right to be children is denied . . . their views of their neighbours are coloured in ways that can create future generations of self-perpetuating violence. With all that implies for the region as a whole.

Children face tremendous dangers on a daily basis. They are being killed, maimed and orphaned by conflict. Health clinics that have not been damaged or destroyed struggle to deliver life-saving services. Clean water and adequate sanitation – the most fundamental of daily necessities – are increasingly scarce. Many schools have been damaged, destroyed or taken over by displaced people seeking shelter. Countless children suffer from the psychological trauma of seeing family members killed, of being separated from their parents and being terrified by the constant thunder of shelling. Girls and women are further vulnerable to violence.

Many have fled their country to live in refugee camps in neighbouring countries. And if all this were not enough, they are enduring a bitterly cold winter.

UNICEF and its partners are committed to keeping Syria’s children from becoming a ‘lost generation’. This report highlights some of the critical efforts made to minimize the impact of the crisis on children - including in life-saving areas of health, nutrition, immunization, water and sanitation, as well as investments in the future of children through education and child protection. SOURCE: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

How Syrian Women Are Fueling the Resistance

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 11:44:42 -0800

This month marks the two-year anniversary of the antigovernment protests that kicked off the Syrian uprising. So far, the conflict has claimed roughly 70,000 lives, made refugees of one million people, and displaced an additional three million. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry pledged food, medicine, and non-lethal military aid to the Free Syrian Army (FSA), along with $60 million directed to the rebels' political wing to help with the provision of public goods and services in the rebel-controlled areas.

This is a good start, but in order to prevent further human catastrophe and the spread of Islamist extremism in Syria, Washington needs to do more. Specifically, the United States should aid opposition women's organizations. This strategy would help address the current humanitarian crisis and ensure that aid reaches its intended receipts, in addition to elevating the status of women in Syria.

Syrian women have been active in the fight against Bashar al-Assad's regime from the start, dating back to the peaceful demonstrations in early 2011 in the southern city of Dara'a. They have remained actively involved even as the fight has become bloody. I met several of these women revolutionaries during my recent trip to the rebel-controlled countryside of Idlib province and to towns on the Turkish-Syrian border. These women smuggle guns to the opposition and make improvised explosive devices in their kitchens. They work in field hospitals saving the lives of FSA fighters. They document incidents of torture and sexual violence, in the hope that such information will be useful in a future war-crimes tribunal. Whether Sunni, Kurdish, Christian, or Alawite, with hijab or without, these women are fighting for a common objective: a free Syria. SOURCE: Foreign Affairs // Council on Foreign Relations

DR Congo: Poor Coordination Obstructs Emergency Response to Gender-Based Violence

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 11:37:02 -0800

The recent increase in displacement due to conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has multiplied the risk of gender-based violence (GBV). At the same time, coordination efforts by the international aid community are failing to address the needs of women and girls. In 2009, United Nations Action on Sexual Violence in Conflict drafted a comprehensive strategy for combating sexual violence in the DRC, which was then adopted by the DRC government. However, challenges with leadership, information sharing, and funding are hindering implementation of this strategy and actually obstructing urgent response to beneficiaries. To ensure effective prevention and response to GBV, the current coordination mechanism should be abandoned in favor of a structure better suited to humanitarian crises. SOURCE: Refugee International

An Assessment of Gender Inequitable Norms and Gender-based Violence in South Sudan: A Community-based Participatory Research Approach

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 10:48:40 -0800

Background
Following decades of conflict, South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011. Prolonged conflict, which included gender-based violence (GBV), exacerbated gender disparities. This study aimed to assess attitudes towards gender inequitable norms related to GBV and to estimate the frequency of GBV in sampled communities of South Sudan.

Methods
Applying a community-based participatory research approach, 680 adult male and female household respondents were interviewed in seven sites within South Sudan in 2009--2011. Sites were selected based on program catchment area for a non-governmental organization and respondents were selected by quota sampling. The verbally-administered survey assessed attitudes using the Gender Equitable Men scale. Results were stratified by gender, age, and education.

Results
Of 680 respondents, 352 were female, 326 were male, and 2 did not provide gender data. Among respondents, 82% of females and 81% of males agreed that 'a woman should tolerate violence in order to keep her family together'. The majority, 68% of females and 63% of males, also agreed that 'there are times when a woman deserves to be beaten.' Women (47%) were more likely than men (37%) to agree that 'it is okay for a man to hit his wife if she won't have sex with him' (p=0.005). Agreement with gender inequitable norms decreased with education. Across sites, 69% of respondents knew at least one woman who was beaten by her husband in the past month and 42% of respondents knew at least one man who forced his wife or partner to have sex.

Conclusion
The study reveals an acceptance of violence against women among sampled communities in South Sudan. Both women and men agreed with gender inequitable norms, further supporting that GBV programming should address the attitudes of both women and men. The results support promotion of education as a strategy for addressing gender inequality and GBV. The findings reveal a high frequency of GBV across all assessment sites; however, population-based studies are needed to determine the prevalence of GBV in South Sudan. South Sudan, the world's newest nation, has the unique opportunity to implement policies that promote gender equality and the protection of women. SOURCE: Conflict and Health

Two Years after the Crisis: Returnees from Libya Revisited [Policy Brief]

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 09:54:39 -0800

This report provides an update to a policy brief issued in May 2012, on the situation of migrants who returned to their home countries as a result of the conflict in Libya in 2011. Now two years after mass returns began, the aftermath of the crisis continues to reverberate in countries across Northern and Western Africa as well as beyond, in Asia. To this day, albeit in much smaller numbers, migrants continue to leave Libya. While the timely intervention and transportation of returnees prevented an immediate humanitarian crisis from occurring on Libya’s borders, the return of vast numbers of migrants to their home countries was not without consequences. The Libyan crisis has posed a broader threat to peace and security in the region, and is clearly among the many factors that have contributed to the recent conflict in Mali. Even though the crisis has diminished, pressing humanitarian needs still remain. The circumstances of many continue to be difficult, with few job opportunities and challenges in adjusting back to family and community life.

While the initial policy brief focused specifically on returns to several West African countries, this update takes a broader view and looks at the situation of returnees in a number of African and Asian countries (Burkina Faso, Chad, Ghana, Niger, Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan, Tunisia, Viet Nam and Bangladesh). This policy brief update first reviews the current situation of returnees and then, examines the measures taken to support them. Finally, it lays out some lessons for the future, by revisiting the recommendations made in the first policy brief issued in May 2012 in the aftermath of the crisis, regarding reintegration and community stabilization, migration management and capacity-building, and sustainable development. This case of migrants returning home from Libya also provides us with a larger lesson: once the immediate emergency is over, such returnees are likely to become a forgotten group, especially if they come from countries faced with new economic and political challenges. SOURCE: International Organization for Migration

Human Security Research [February 2013]

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:39:04 -0800

Human Security Research is a monthly compilation of significant new human security-related research published by academics, university research institutes, think-tanks, international agencies, and NGOs.

In this issue:

NATURAL DISASTERS AND CONFLICT: When Disasters and Conflicts Collide: Improving Links Between Disaster Resilience and Conflict Prevention
SYRIA: Preliminary Statistical Analysis of Documentation of Killings in the Syrian Arab Republic
KENYA: Kenya’s 2013 Elections
COLLECTIVE VIOLENCE: It’s Who You Know: Social Networks, Interpersonal Connections, and Participation in Collective Violence
MEXICO: Drug Violence in Mexico: Data and Analysis Through 2012
TRANSNATIONAL ORGANIZED CRIME: Transnational Organized Crime in West Africa: A Threat Assessment
FAITH COMMUNITIES AND RESILIENCY: Local Faith Communities and the Promotion of Resilience in Humanitarian Situations: A Scoping Study
YEMEN: A Lasting Peace? Yemen's Long Journey to National Reconciliation
DISPLACEMENT: Displacement, Disharmony and Disillusion. Understanding Host-Refugee Tensions in Maban County, South Sudan
MENTAL HEALTH AND CONFLICT: Madness or Sadness? Local Concepts of Mental Illness in Four Conflict-affected African Communities
SRI LANKA: Sri Lanka’s Authoritarian Turn: The Need for International Action
JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION: Peace, Justice, and Reconciliation in Africa: Opportunities and Challenges in the Fight Against Impunity SOURCE: Human Security Report Project

Kenya: Government Directive Leads to Severe Abuses and Forced Returns

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 16:47:57 -0800

In December 2012, the Government of Kenya announced a directive that would force all refugees living in cities to relocate to camps, and shut down all registration and service provision to refugees and asylum-seekers in cities. This effectively empowered Kenyan security services to unleash a wave of abuse against refugees. That Kenya has not yet gone ahead with a forced relocation plan has led some to believe that the worst has been averted. Yet the directive caused severe harm even without being implemented. Many refugees felt forced to leave Nairobi following severe harassment. The directive has also been a set-back to Kenya’s notable advances in enabling urban refugees to support themselves, and it has put the UN Refugee Agency’s (UNHCR) global urban refugee policy at risk. SOURCE: Refugee International

Still Minding the Gap? A Review of Efforts to Link Relief and Development in Situations of Human Displacement, 2001-2012

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:08:05 -0800

The present study looks at developments in the areas of policy and process during the period 2001-2012 that sought to address “the gap(s)” that work against a smooth transition from humanitarian relief to development. This study is written primarily from the perspective of UNHCR, and mainly in relation to its efforts to engage development actors in the search for durable solutions to the plight of people forcibly displaced by conflict, especially for those who have been living in protracted situations of displacement. This study thus complements an earlier one undertaken by UNHCR in 2001.

The issue of the gap(s), or put more positively, the need for relevant linkages, to better ensure the transition from relief (humanitarian activities) to development, has now become a recurring theme, especially in deliberations on post-conflict early recovery. Although post-conflict situations still dominate reflections on early recovery and peacebuilding, the specificities of post-disaster situations (e.g. hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.), as well as the impact of slow-impact natural disasters such as drought, have now also been recognized. Thus, UNHCR’s main interest in the reintegration of returnees (either IDPs or refugees), or local integration, particularly of refugees in protracted situations, is only one element of many that now occupy the attention of the international community in addressing the subject of transition from relief to development. SOURCE: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Migrants in Times of Crisis: An Emerging Protection Challenge

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 09:49:02 -0800

Crises and crisis-fueled displacement have always occurred. Today, however, the scale and frequency of both conflict and natural disasters are leading to larger and more complex population movements. One particular dimension of contemporary crises is the presence of significant populations of nonnationals— principally migrant workers and their families—in countries that may be affected by crises. This was most recently demonstrated during the conflict that engulfed Libya in 2011, resulting in population flows that tested the response capacity of states, international humanitarian agencies, and the international community as a whole. In Libya, an estimated 1.8 million migrant workers (including an estimated 1 million to 1.2 million migrants with no legal status) were caught in the conflict and required varying degrees of protection.1 While the consequences of crises faced by migrants are not new—the 1991 Gulf War, the 2006 conflict between Israel and Lebanon, and the 2011 crisis in Ivory Coast all affected several hundred thousand migrants—the scale and impact of the conflict in Libya represented a wakeup call for the international community. It illustrated the disproportionate vulnerability of migrants during political turmoil and conflict in their destination countries as well as their specific protection and assistance needs in regards to evacuation and personal safety, especially when migrants are in irregular situations. In addition, the large number of returning migrants demonstrated the need for longer-term assistance in home countries.

This observation was at the center of discussions of a roundtable seminar on “Migrants in Times of Crises: An Emerging Protection Challenge.” The meeting was convened on October 9, 2012 by the International Peace Institute (IPI) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The discussion was part of the International Dialogue on Migration (IDM), IOM’s principal forum for policy dialogue among migration stakeholders; countries of origin, transit, and destination; international organizations; civil society; migrants; and migration experts. In 2012, the IOM membership designated “Managing Migration in Crisis Situations” as the overarching theme for the IDM. Two previous IDM seminars took place in Geneva in April and September 2012 and served, respectively, to explore the main concept of “migration crisis”2 and the complex interactions between crises and human mobility, and to examine the particular consequences of crises for migrants as well as the resulting operational and policy challenges in protecting them.3 The IPI-hosted meeting built upon previous discussions, with the aim of raising awareness among the international community in New York of the issue of migrants caught in crisis. Bringing the IDM discussions to New York for the first time was particularly opportune to help inform the second United Nations (UN) High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development that will take place on the margins of the UN General Assembly’s next opening session in October 2013. SOURCE: International Peace Institute

Return Intention Survey on Displaced Population - Mali

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 16:33:22 -0800

The beginning of the military intervention in January 2013 and the rapid evolution of the conflict with the takeover of major towns in northern Mali by the Malian, French and African Union troops suggest that a rapid and spontaneous return of the populations displaced in the southern regions of Mali since the beginning of the conflict in 2012 may take place.

In this context, IOM Mali conducted an intention survey targeting 836 displaced families from northern regions currently living in the Bamako and Koulikoro regions and registered in the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) database. The survey was conducted by phone between February 2nd and 4th, 2013. SOURCE: International Organization for Migration

UNHCR's Dialogues with Refugee Women

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 12:06:31 -0800

In November 2010, UNHCR launched a series of Dialogues in seven locations around the world to give a voice to over 1,000 refugee, asylum-seeking and internally displaced women and girls, as well as over 300 men and boys, and to ensure this was heard and taken on board by UNHCR and other relevant stakeholders. The Dialogues had several objectives: to increase awareness and understanding of the protection issues facing women and girls, to enable an inclusive and in-depth discussion among refugees and relevant stakeholders of how these are being addressed and what could be improved, and to provide a space for displaced women and girls to formulate concrete recommendations for the way forward. Over one year after the Dialogues series was completed, positive changes can be seen both in terms of the visibility of women’s and girls’ protection issues and the responses of various stakeholders. This Progress Report sets out a number of concrete, tangible steps that have been taken by various actors in response to the specific recommendations made by women and girls during the Dialogues. It is based on information obtained from UNHCR staff and some of the Dialogue participants.

UNCHR regularly consults with refugees and displaced men, women, boys and girls of all ages and backgrounds. This has become a particularly well-established practice throughout the Organization since its age, gender and diversity approach was introduced in 2004. The Dialogues built on this, by providing a unique forum to explore in detail the specific protection issues facing women and girls, including with the involvement of men and boys. Given the length, structure and methodology of the Dialogues, participants were able to engage in a particularly frank and in-depth discussion and analysis of the protection issues they face. They not only explored gaps and challenges, but also shared ideas as to how various actors, including refugee women themselves, could better respond to the issues identified. Critically, the Dialogues involved not only displaced persons and UNHCR staff, but also representatives from UNHCR’s partners, non-government organizations, government authorities and refugee and displaced communities. Participants were therefore given an important opportunity to present the results of their discussions and their recommendations directly to those in the position to effect change.

This report sets out in more detail – in relation to the ten protection areas addressed – the progress that UNHCR staff, partners and displaced women and girls have made in follow up to the Dialogues. It reinforces the immense value of this process in having given a wide range of relevant stakeholders a much deeper and more personal insight into the problems faced by displaced women and girls, and a chance to hear first-hand their impressions as to how these can be resolved. Fundamentally, the Dialogues have given a greater impetus and sense of urgency to making protection more effective for women and girls. Despite difficult operational contexts, competing priorities and a host of financial, social and cultural obstacles, the Dialogues have improved communication channels with displaced women and girls, triggered new initiatives, led to a re-focusing of existing projects and programmes to better respond to their needs, and built a heightened sense of responsibility and commitment in this area among UNHCR and other relevant stakeholder staff and – significantly – displaced women and girls and their communities. Efforts will continue to build on the momentum built during this process and make, as far as possible, the recommendations made by participants in all locations a reality. SOURCE: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Analysis of Host Community-Refugee Tensions in Mafraq, Jordan

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 11:32:55 -0800

Between March 2011 and July 2012, more than 140,000 Syrians entered into Jordan looking for safety. 1 By the beginning of August 2012, around 15,000 of these Syrian refugees were hosted in the transit facilities of Ramtha and the tented camp of Za’atari (Mafraq), while the vast majority were scattered within the local host community. 2 With no improvements in Syria’s security situation, Syrians steadily continue to arrive in Jordan.

Mercy Corps conducted a five-day rapid assessment of the situation in the Mafraq area at the end October 2012 in order to gain a more thorough understanding of the increasing tensions between the Jordanian host communities and Syrian refugees living in the area. 3 The assessment relied on focus group interviews with members of both the Jordanian and Syrian communities. Over 45 people were consulted. Key informant interviews were also conducted with Jordanian municipal government officials, most notably the Deputy Mayor and the Director of the Municipal Water Services. Published materials from others groups working on this issue were reviewed as well.

This document lays out how and why tensions are appearing in the Jordanian border city of Mafraq. 4 The document describes several sources of tension between Syrian refugees and the host community, detailing how pre-existing mechanisms for resolving these tensions scarcely apply to the current situation. It then puts forward three implications on the future of humanitarian assistance in the area. SOURCE: MercyCorps

Improving Communication Between Humanitarian Aid Agencies and Crisis-affected People: Lessons from the Infoasaid Project

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 11:11:36 -0800

The role and importance of effective communication with crisis-affected people have grown significantly in recent years, driven by the proliferation of accountability initiatives within the humanitarian sector, the changing role of media development organisations as providers of humanitarian information and the explosion in information and communication technology (ICT) in crisis-affected countries. Eight years ago, the international humanitarian response to the Indian Ocean tsunami was widely criticised for its failure to communicate adequately with affected people and national and local actors. According to the Tsunami Evaluation Coalition (TEC), ‘poor information flow [was] undoubtedly the biggest source of dissatisfaction, anger and frustration among affected people’. Six years later, the Haiti earthquake response marked the first large-scale application of new technologies to enable dialogue between relief agencies and crisis-affected people, including crowd-sourcing and projects combining mobile phone, digital and radio technologies, demanding new forms of collaboration between the local media, technology companies and international humanitarian organisations.

The growing recognition of the importance of communication in disaster response has prompted an upsurge in discussions, publications and initiatives aimed at better understanding the potential of broadcast media and new technologies to improve how agencies communicate with their beneficiaries and, ultimately, enhance the quality and accountability of humanitarian assistance. This Network Paper reports on the work of one such initiative, infoasaid. Operated by two media development organisations, BBC Media Action and Internews, with funding from the UK Department for International Development (DFID), infoasaid was established in 2010 to improve the quality of humanitarian responses by maximising the amount of accurate and timely information available to humanitarian responders and crisis-affected populations through enhanced communication between them in an emergency. SOURCE: Humanitarian Practice Network // Overseas Development Institute

Sri Lanka’s Authoritarian Turn: The Need for International Action

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 11:00:54 -0800

Government attacks on the judiciary and political dissent have accelerated Sri Lanka’s authoritarian turn and threaten long-term stability and peace. The government’s politically motivated impeachment of the chief justice reveals both its intolerance of dissent and the weakness of the political opposition. By incapacitating the last institutional check on the executive, the government has crossed a threshold into new and dangerous terrain, threatening prospects for the eventual peaceful transfer of power through free and fair elections. Strong international action should begin with Sri Lanka’s immediate referral to the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) and a new resolution from the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) calling for concrete, time-bound actions to restore the rule of law, investigate rights abuses and alleged war crimes by government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and devolve power to Tamil and Muslim areas of the north and east.

Sri Lanka is faced with two worsening and inter-connected governance crises. The dismantling of the independent judiciary and other democratic checks on the executive and military will inevitably feed the growing ethnic tension resulting from the absence of power sharing and the denial of minority rights. Both crises have deepened with the Rajapaksa government’s refusal to comply with the HRC’s March 2012 resolution on reconciliation and accountability. While the government claims to have implemented many of the recommendations of its Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) – a key demand of the HRC’s resolution – there has in fact been no meaningful progress on the most critical issues:

the government has conducted no credible investigations into allegations of war crimes, disappearances or other serious human rights violations;
rather than establish independent institutions for oversight and investigation, the government has in effect removed the last remnants of judicial independence through the impeachment of the chief justice;
there has been no progress toward a lasting and fair constitutional settlement of the ethnic conflict through devolution of power;
the military still controls virtually all aspects of life in the north, intimidating and sidelining the civilian administration;
more than 90,000 people remain displaced in the north and east, amid continued land seizures by the military, with no effective right of appeal and no fair process for handling land disputes;
government security forces have broken up peaceful Tamil protests in the north, detained students on questionable charges of working with the LTTE and actively harassed Tamil politicians;
the government has responded with force to protest and dissent in the south, too, deploying troops to prevent the newly impeached chief justice and supporters from visiting the Supreme Court while pro-government groups attacked lawyers protesting the impeachment. SOURCE: International Crisis Group

Hear My Voice: Somalis on Living in a Humanitarian Crisis

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 11:02:05 -0800

In 2011-2012, drought and conflict caused widespread food shortages resulting in a malnutrition peak well above emergency levels in Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) programs, and spurred the displacement of tens of thousands of people within south central Somalia and to Ethiopia and Kenya. Soaring prices for domestic and international food, insecurity, and the effects of denied humanitarian access by armed groups exacerbated the crisis that the United Nations declared a famine. Restrictive international donor policies including the criminalization of aid provision by some governments in some of the worst affected areas controlled by insurgents further hampered humanitarian response efforts leaving large gaps in aid provision.

In February 2012 the famine was declared over and policy makers are now more focused on development, state-building and security than humanitarian aid. While security and access to provide and receive assistance has since improved in certain areas, large numbers of Somalis carry on facing hardship and violence underscoring the crude reality that a humanitarian emergency continues in Somalia. As the Somalia government and its donors look toward a new era, humanitarian assistance - including food, water, shelter and healthcare - dissociated from political objectives and processes should remain a priority.

Over the past 15 months, MSF has routinely asked its patients about the circumstances that led them to our clinics and hospitals in Somalia and the refugee camps in Ethiopia. What emerges from the 820 testimonies gathered1 is a mix of fear, violence including sexual assault, people uprooted, food shortages and a lack of access to the basic means of survival and adequate health care. These interviews allow Somalis to express in their own terms what it means to live under what for many are still emergency conditions. SOURCE: Medecins Sans Frontieres // Doctors Without Borders

Refugee Livelihoods in Urban Areas: Identifying Program Opportunities Recommendations for Programming and Advocacy

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 10:24:54 -0800

Despite a growing body of research about the livelihood problems of refugees in urban areas in countries of first asylum, there is little evidence about which humanitarian programs work, what livelihoods initiatives refugees undertake themselves, and where opportunities for programming interventions lie. This study addresses this knowledge gap by analyzing the urban livelihoods context, and identifying programming opportunities and examples of promising program initiatives. The study’s key objective was to support livelihoods programming for refugees by generating new ideas from related fields of inquiry, such as low-income urban development and youth employment, and adapting these ideas to make them relevant for refugees.

Our study began with a global desk review of livelihoods programming for refugees in urban settings together with a review of low-income urban development programs that could be relevant for refugees. We then conducted three case studies – in Cairo, Tel Aviv and Quito, Ecuador – each representing a different refugee policy and livelihoods context, and which together offer lessons for other host settings. Each case study begins with a review of existing livelihood programs in the country. This includes a mapping of commercial, humanitarian and governmental organizations that provide programming, advocacy or other resources that support the livelihoods of refugees, migrants and low-income citizens. We then interviewed asylum seekers and key informants to deepen our understanding of the livelihoods context in each country.

Both the desk review and the case studies can be found at fic.tufts.edu Our global review and case studies generated many ideas, and in this document we summarize the main program and advocacy approaches that show promise for supporting the livelihoods of urban refugees. We begin with a discussion of advocacy, then focus on programming. SOURCE: Tufts University

Testing Experiences of HIV Positive Refugees in Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda: Informing Interventions to Encourage Priority Shifting

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 10:20:06 -0800

Background
Recent initiatives by international health and humanitarian aid organizations have focused increased attention on making HIV testing services more widely available to vulnerable populations. To realize potential health benefits from new services, they must be utilized. This research addresses the question of how utilization of testing services might be encouraged and increased for refugees displaced by conflict, to make better use of existing resources.

Methods
Open-ended interviews were conducted with HIV-infected refugees (N=73) who had tested for HIV and with HIV clinic staff (N=4) in Nakivale Refugee Settlement in southwest Uganda. Interviews focused on accessibility of HIV/AIDS-related testing and care and perspectives on how to improve utilization of testing services. Data collection took place at the Nakivale HIV/AIDS Clinic from March to July of 2011. Observations of clinical activities were also carried out. An inductive approach to data analysis was used to identify factors related to utilization.

Results
In general, interviewees report focusing daily effort on tasks aimed at meeting survival needs. HIV testing is not prioritized over these responsibilities. Under some circumstances, however, HIV testing occurs. This happens when: (a) circumstances realign to trigger a temporary shift in priorities away from daily survival-related tasks; (b) survival needs are temporarily met; and/or (c) conditions shift to alleviate barriers to HIV testing.

Conclusion
HIV testing services provided for refugees must be not just available, but also utilized. Understanding what makes HIV testing possible for refugees who have tested can inform interventions to increase testing in this population. Intervening by encouraging priority shifts toward HIV testing, by helping ensure survival needs are met, and by eliminating barriers to testing, may result in refugees making better use of existing testing services. SOURCE: Conflict and Health

World Report 2013: Events of 2012

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:03:56 -0800

The euphoria of the Arab Spring has given way to the sobering challenge of creating rights-respecting democracies, Human Rights Watch said today in issuing its World Report 2013. The willingness of new governments to respect rights will determine whether those uprisings give birth to genuine democracy or simply spawn authoritarianism in new forms.

In the 665-page report, its 23rd annual review of human rights practices around the globe, Human Rights Watch summarizes major issues in more than 90 countries. With regard to events in the Middle East and North Africa known as the Arab Spring, Human Rights Watch said the creation of a rights-respecting state can be painstaking work that requires building effective institutions of governance, establishing independent courts, creating professional police, and resisting the temptation of majorities to disregard human rights and the rule of law. But the difficulty of building democracy does not justify seeking a return to the old order, Human Rights Watch said. SOURCE: Human Rights Watch

Urban Refugees in Amman, Jordan

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:28:01 -0800

Since 2003, aid to Iraqi refugees has provided humanitarian solutions to political problems. Issues such as violence, insecurity and lack of services in Iraq, which caused the flight of refugees have yet to be addressed in Iraq, impeding their return home. The Jordanian government has granted Iraqi refugees access to K-12 public education and public health care on the same level as uninsured Jordanians; the refugees, however, do not have the right to work legally. Consequently, Iraqis are now in situation of protracted displacement, which means not only are they depleting all of their economic resources since leaving Iraq, but they are almost entirely dependent on the aid community for their livelihood. Furthermore, Iraqi children are on a trajectory to be less educated than their parents because of disruptions in schooling and lack of opportunities for higher education and employment.

The vast majority of Iraqis are urban refugees—both from cities and towns in Iraq and living in cities in Jordan. The six plus years of experience with this population has shown that urban populations in a lower-middle income country consume a great deal of financial resources both because the refugees have middle-class healthcare needs, educational goals and desires, and also because life in Jordan is not inexpensive. One of the lessons learned from the Iraqi refugee experience for the humanitarian aid community has been that collaboration among UN organizations, the Government of Jordan (GoJ) and its ministries, INGOs, NGOs and CBOs has led to successful projects and the greatest amount of transparency. SOURCE: Institute for the Study of International Migration // Center for Contemporary Arab Studies

Urban Refugees in Cairo

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 13:39:40 -0800

Cairo, Egypt is home to one of the largest populations of urban refugees in the world. In recent decades, waves of refugees from Sudan, Iraq, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Palestine and elsewhere have fled to Cairo hoping to find third country resettlement, eventually return to their countries of origin, or start a new life by integrating into Egyptian society. For all of these refugees, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is the primary institution responsible for determining refugees’ status, offering protection, and facilitating durable solutions.

Despite the many efforts of UNHCR, the Government of Egypt, and numerous non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to provide protection and assistance for these various refugee populations in Cairo, numerous challenges remain for these refugees in the areas of legal protection and security, livelihoods, education, and healthcare.

UNHCR has adopted various strategies over the years to better respond to refugees’ needs. One major initiative was UNHCR’s 1997 Policy Statement on Refugees in Urban Areas, which stressed self-reliance for urban refugees. In 2009, UNHCR issued a new policy on urban refugees aimed at increasing protection for refugees in cities and at mainstreaming refugees into national institutions when possible. This report seeks to provide a preliminary evaluation of the impact of the new 2009 policy while undertaking a comparative analysis of the differing needs, experiences, and protection gaps of Cairo’s many different refugee populations.

Our study is based on household interviews with both refugee and local Egyptian populations, conducted in Cairo between December 2010 and March 2011. Our research team conducted 63 household interviews, distributed across target populations: 49 per cent Iraqi refugee households, 22 per cent African refugee households, 32 per cent local Egyptian households. Refugee or local Egyptian research assistants trained and supervised by an on-the-ground team member conducted all household interviews. Households were asked open-ended questions about their past and present experiences with safety, livelihoods, education, and health; respondents interviewed after the Egyptian Revolution in January 2011 were asked additional questions about the impact of the revolution on their security and ability to access basic services. Interviews were translated and analyzed by our research team in Washington, DC. SOURCE: Institute for the Study of International Migration // Center for Contemporary Arab Studies

Mali: Rapport d’Evaluation Rapide : Des besoins de protection des populations déplacées dans la commune urbaine de Mopti

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 13:28:11 -0800

Mopti, depuis les premières heures de l’occupation des régions du Nord, est devenu la destination privilégiée des ressortissants de ces régions au Mali. Les dernières évaluations démontrent que les déplacés internes qui ont fuit, par peur d’une reprise de combats, ont trouvé refuge pour la grande majorité (97%) dans des familles et communautés d’accueil. Ces déplacés internes se trouvent principalement dans la ville de Mopti.

L’objectif de ce rapport est de favoriser notre connaissance des besoins de protection des populations déplacées dans cette zone, notamment au niveau de leurs préoccupations par rapport à leurs sécurités et leurs craintes à l’issue du conflit.

Les personnes déplacés qui sont arrivées à partir de janvier 2013 ont quitté les villes de Rharous, Tombouctou, Niafunké, Diré, Gossi, Madiakoye, Bambara Maoundé, Tonka, Fifo, Gao, Bourem, Douentza, Konna et Boré.

La collaboration avec des acteurs comme le développement social, la protection civile, les responsables du camp des déplacés, les représentants de l’association des déplacés des régions nord du Mali à Mopti et les chefs de quartiers a beaucoup facilité ce travail. SOURCE: Handicap International

A Responsibility to Protect: UNHCR and Statelessness in Egypt

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 13:24:25 -0800

To date there has been no comprehensive research on instances of statelessness in Egypt, which has negatively impacted how government, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and other organizations have been able to deal with the problem. This paper considers cases of stateless migrants to Egypt and evaluates how far the UNHCR in Cairo has been able to provide stateless persons the international protection they may be owed under the UNHCR's statelessness mandate. This paper aims to be accurate as of march 2012. Since that date, AMERA has worked with UNHCR to address a number of the issues raised, including development of standard operating procedures to determine statelessness in the context of UNHCR's refugee status determination procedures. SOURCE: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Humanitarian Financing to the Syria Crisis in 2013

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 12:46:54 -0800

The UN and partners have launched two funding appeals to meet humanitarian needs resulting from the crisis in Syria, the Syria Humanitarian Response Plan (SHARP) and the Syria Regional Response Plan (RRP). Together these appeals request US$1.5 billion, with around US$1 billion for the RRP, to meet the needs of more than half a million refugees who have fled Syria to Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey and Egypt and US$519 million through the SHARP to meet the needs of over 4 million people inside Syria. Key points to note concerning funding for Syria in 2013 include:

- the SHARP and RRP appeals together represent the largest humanitarian financing appeal in 2013
- financing requirements per affected person within the SHARP and RRP include some of the highest of any current funding appeal
- several weeks in only 3% of financing requirements have been met
- in 2012, 65% of appeal financing requirements were met, but the scale of the crisis and of financing requirements have escalated and donors will need to increase contributions from 2013 levels considerably to address growing humanitarian needs.

This GHA Briefing on funding to the Syria crisiscollates and summarises the latest available information on financial investments in humanitarian assistance via international actors to the Syria crisis and will be updated periodically to monitor the financing response to the crisis following the donor pledging conference in Kuwait on 30 January 2013. SOURCE: Global Humanitarian Assistance

Hospitals and Doctors under Attack in Syria: Q&A with the Chair of the Humanitarian Aid Committee for the Syrian Expatriates Organization

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:05:13 -0800

From a spark ignited during the Arab Spring, a violent conflict erupted in Syria in March 2011, resulting in more than 600,000 Syrians fleeing their country, the displacement within the country of nearly 2 million others, and an estimated 60,000 deaths. On January 14, Amber French, editor of the Migration Information Source, spoke with Dr. Fadi Al Khankan of the Syrian Expatriates Organization and MPI's Kathleen Newland, both panelists at an MPI event to discuss the International Rescue Committee's (IRC) new report, Syria: A Regional Crisis. Dr. Al Khankan, a native of Homs, Syria and pulmonologist now living and practicing medicine in the United States, is Chairman of the Humanitarian Committee of the Syrian Expatriates Organization, a nonprofit organization of Syrian Americans and Syrian Canadians that provides humanitarian relief. Kathleen Newland is Co-Founder of the Migration Policy Institute and Director of its Migrants, Migration, and Development, and Refugee Policy Programs. Ms. Newland, who is also an IRC Overseer, was recently part of IRC delegation that visited Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey to assess conditions for Syrian refugees. What follows is the conversation between Ms. French, Dr. Al Khankan, and Ms. Newland. SOURCE: Migration Information Source

Displacement, Disharmony and Disillusion. Understanding Host-Refugee Tensions in Maban County, South Sudan

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 11:52:53 -0800

When conflict erupted in Blue Nile State in September 2011, thousands of people began fleeing their homes. Indiscriminate bombing targeted a vulnerable civilian population and members of the southern-aligned political party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), were harassed, detained and, in some cases, killed. The influx of more than 30,000 people across the border into South Sudan created a humanitarian crisis and prompted a massive international emergency response. The crisis beset population of Blue Nile found relative stability and a local population willing to embrace them in Maban County, Upper Nile State. However, as time has passed, the refugee population has swelled to a staggering 110,000 people and perceived inequalities and competition for resources has started causing tensions between the host and refugee populations.

Based on desk research, consultations in Maban among refugee and host communities and months of working in the area, this paper brings together a historical, socio-economic and political perspective on the communities present in Maban. The paper also provides an outline of areas of tension and potential conflict mitigation responses. SOURCE: Danish Demining Group

Misery Beyond the War Zone: Life for Syrian Refugees and Displaced Populations in Lebanon

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 08:47:37 -0800

This report specifically focuses on MSF’s work with Syrian refugees and other displaced populations in Lebanon, where MSF teams are providing urgent assistance and free-of-charge medical care among people now sheltering in Tripoli and in various locations of the Bekaa Valley.

In June 2012, MSF conducted a survey among Syrian refugees and Lebanese people who’d been living in Syria but were likewise driven out by the war. The results highlighted a number of worrisome conditions. Assistance had been quickly deployed in the early days of the crisis, and numerous organizations were still supporting the aid response, but clear gaps were already evident, particularly when it came to access to medical care. Treatment for chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease was already a major concern, in large part because the cost of the necessary drugs was out of reach for many. There were also significant gaps in hospital-level care, with four out of ten interviewees saying they could not access a hospital due to cost, insecurity or other reasons.

Citing the survey results, MSF called for the response to be maintained and reinforced, and in December 2012, MSF launched another survey of the displaced populations from Syria now in Lebanon in order to gauge living conditions and check whether any progress had been made since results of the first survey were released.

This report contains the results of the most recent survey. They show that the gaps in service that existed last spring have not been sufficiently addressed but have in fact widened as more people have streamed across the border. Living conditions among the majority of refugees and Lebanese returnees remain extremely precarious, particularly with winter arriving. More than 50% of those interviewed, whether they were officially registered or not, are housed in substandard structures — inadequate collective shelters, farms, garages, unfinished buildings and old schools — that provide paltry, if any, protection against the elements. The rest are renting houses, but many of those people, now separated from their lives and livelihoods, are struggling to pay the rent. SOURCE: Medecins Sans Frontieres // Doctors Without Borders

Sri Lanka: Transitioning from a Humanitarian Crisis to a Human Rights Crisis

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 11:18:42 -0800

Sri Lanka is recovering from a devastating 26-year civil war, which ended in May 2009 with the military defeat of the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) by the government of Sri Lanka. The rapid reconstruction of major roads, power lines and public buildings by the government is an impressive achievement. The return of 300,000 people displaced at the end of the war was also swift, but in a number of cases the government of Sri Lanka did not adhere to internationally accepted standards for voluntary, safe and dignified return. Furthermore, an estimated 100,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) remain in camps, host communities and transit centers1 and about 136,000 Sri Lankan refugees remain in exile, with the majority in India. Sri Lanka’s postwar transition from relief to development has been artificially stunted in that there was little recognition of the underlying grievances of the Tamil minority. Furthermore, the victory has allowed the government to consolidate power across the country and intimidate political opposition at all levels. The maintenance of public administration and services in LTTE-controlled areas during the war should have fostered a more efficient transition from relief to development, but the military’s influence in local administration and centralized decision-making process have limited recovery efforts. For the conflict-affected populations in the north and east, the sociopolitical conflict continues and a host of unaddressed traumas manifest in grow-ing social issues among Tamil communities. Sri Lanka’s future as a stable and democratic nation remains overshadowed, not by a renewed Tamil insurgency but by the increasingly authoritative practices of the administration of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. SOURCE: InterAction

Bahimi's Six Principles for a Political Transition in Syria

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:27:58 -0800

Jint Special Representative for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi presented this report at the United Nations Security Council on Janaury 29, 2013, to inform negotiations with Syria. SOURCE: Briefing to the Security Council - UN Report

Refugee Resettlement: 2012 and Beyond

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:24:26 -0800

In 2002 Garry Troeller, a senior staff member of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), wrote a seminal article1 in which he outlined the history of resettlement and reflected upon how it was being used at that time within the broader framework of refugee protection. Since then, with the exception of some limited circulation documents produced by UNHCR, writing about this area has been scant and in most cases, references to resettlement have either been specific to a particular situation or secondary to the main focus of the piece.2 A decade without work such as Troeller’s has taken its toll, not least in international fora where discussion about resettlement too often languishes at a superficial level, failing to acknowledge both its complexities and its possibilities.

Resettlement is an issue that deserves to be taken seriously by those charged with shaping its policy and those delivering it on the ground. The better it is understood, the more effectively it can be used. It thus seemed time to do what Troeller did in 2002, only one decade further on. His was a snapshot of resettlement at the time when UNHCR was celebrating its 50th anniversary. He looked at the evolution of resettlement and at the issues and challenges of the time. This article will do much the same. It will begin by revisiting key moments in the history of UNHCR’s use of resettlement, though in this case focusing in particular on events of the intervening decade. Likewise it will look at the issues that are currently on the agenda for those involved in implementing UNHCR’s resettlement program. Most significantly, however, it aims to identify the major challenges currently confronting UNHCR, governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). In so doing, it is hoped this will inform debate and enhance the effectiveness of the use of resettlement as a protection tool, as a durable solution and as a tangible expression of solidarity as UNHCR moves into its 7th decade. SOURCE: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Mali's Conflict Refugees: Responding to a Growing Crisis

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:18:03 -0800

With conflict escalating in Mali, the aid effort to help some 145,000 refugees living in camps across remote, poor areas of the Sahel could become overwhelmed unless there is a step-change in the way aid operations are carried out.

Since January 2012, nearly 375,000 Malians have fled the conflict in the north of their country. Some 145,000, the majority of them women and children, have crossed into Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Niger. More refugees are set to follow as fighting intensifies in Mali.

Host governments and humanitarian agencies have provided life-saving aid to refugees in difficult circumstances, but they are struggling to meet all the refugees’ basic needs, in particular in education, nutrition and protection. In Niger’s camps, up to 21 per cent of children are malnourished, well above the 15 per cent ‘emergency threshold’ set by the UN. For many refugees – including those interviewed by Oxfam – this was the latest of several flights from crisis over two decades and they say they will not return until a lasting peace in Mali is secured.

This briefing paper analyzes the shortfalls in the humanitarian response to refugees, and outlines what is needed to better meet the needs of refugees and the communities among which they are living. It also calls on all military forces and armed groups in Mali to take all possible steps to prevent harm to an already distressed civilian population. Finally, the report emphasises that Mali’s crisis can only be addressed through a comprehensive approach that moves beyond a focus on counter-terrorism and seeks to address the deep-seated drivers of the conflict. SOURCE: Oxfam

Human Security Research [January 2013]

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 12:43:16 -0800

Human Security Research is a monthly compilation of significant new human security-related research published by academics, university research institutes, think-tanks, international agencies, and NGOs.

HUMANITARIAN AID: Aid Worker Security Report 2012: Host States and Their Impact on Security for Humanitarian Operations
MEXICO: The Impact of President Felipe Calderón’s War on Drugs on the Armed Forces: The Prospects for Mexico’s “Militarization” and Bilateral Relations
POLITICAL MISSIONS: Political Missions 2012
RADICALIZATION: Countering Radicalization in Europe
SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND CONFLICT: In the Face of War: Examining Sexual Vulnerabilities of Acholi Adolescent Girls Living in Displacement Camps in Conflict-affected Northern Uganda
GENDER: From Clause to Effect: Including Women's Rights and Gender in Peace Agreements
KYRGYZSTAN: Averting Violence in Kyrgyzstan: Understanding and Responding to Nationalism
LRA: Getting Back on Track: Implementing the UN Regional Strategy on the Lord's Resistance Army
TERRORISM: Global Terrorism Index 2012: Capturing the Impact of Terrorism from 2002-2011
WEAPONRY: Losing Humanity: The Case Against Killer Robots
MEDIA: Working in Concert: Coordination and Collaboration in International Media Development
PAKISTAN: Pakistan on the Edge SOURCE: Human Security Report Project

The Economic Consequences of Forced Displacement

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:31:18 -0800

Currently, nearly 44 million people around the world are forcibly displaced. This displacement is due to a number of factors, including weather shocks in New Orleans and Indonesia and conflict in Afghanistan and Libya. Researchers have posited that the effect of this movement has led to severe impacts on the populations, but due to estimation and data difficulties, little is known about the causal impact of this movement on livelihoods. This paper presents the first causal evidence of the effect of displacement. A panel data set on households and communities near a conflict zone in northern Uganda offers the opportunity to exploit a discontinuity design in order to minimize endogenous determinants of displacement and obtain plausibly unbiased estimates of the immediate and postdisplacement impact of displacement on civilians. I find that displaced households experienced an initial decrease in consumption of between 28% and 35%, as well as a 1/2 standard deviation decrease in the value of assets compared to nondisplaced households.

Two years after households returned home, displaced households still lag behind nondisplaced households with 20% lower consumption, and a 1/5 standard deviation less assets. However, as predicted by a heterogeneous neoclassical growth model, displaced households in the top three quartiles of predisplacement assets appear to have recovered a portion of their consumption, though with significantly reduced education and wealth levels. There is no recovery for the bottom quartile households, who appear to be trapped in a lower equilibrium. SOURCE: Households in Conflict Network // Institute of Development Studies // University of Sussex

Global Emergency Overview (January)

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 10:32:42 -0800

This week severe monsoon rains caused major flooding in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta, affecting 250,000 people and displacing 18,000.

According to UNAMID, the tribal clashes which erupted on 9 January in North Darfur, Sudan, led to the displacement of a total of 70,000 people.

In Syria the conflict continues to affect large parts of the country with escalating tensions in Homs, Aleppo, Idlib and Damascus provinces.

The ground offensive against Islamist rebels in Mali continued on 21 January with French forces entering the central Malian town of Diabaly.

The Government of Myanmar declared a ceasefire in the conflict with Kachin rebels on Friday 18 January; however Kachin rebels reported on 21 January that fighting continues. At least 2,000 people are newly displaced due to latest fighting. SOURCE: Assessment Capacities Project

Internal Displacement and the Kampala Convention: An Opportunity for Development Actors

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 08:50:05 -0800

With almost 10 million people internally displaced by armed conflict and other forms of violence in 22 of its countries and an unknown number of those displaced by disasters, Africa is the continent with the largest number of internally displaced persons (IDPs). At the same time, Africa is the continent that has done most to develop a sound normative framework to protect the rights of IDPs by adopting, in 2006, the Great Lakes Protocol on the Protection and Assistance to Internally Displaced Persons and Protocol the Property Rights of Returning Persons as part of the Pact on Security, Stability and Development in the Great Lakes Region, and, in 2009, the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention), the first full-fledged legally binding convention addressing internal displacement in a comprehensive and detailed manner. In addition, several African countries have developed domestic laws, policies and strategies that address internal displacement. SOURCE: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre // Norwegian Refugee Council // Nordic Trust Fund

Au Mali: Loin des feux de l’actualité, les populations déportées ont un besoin urgent d’aide

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 08:47:01 -0800

Le Coordinateur Humanitaire/Coordinateur Résident des Nations Unies (ONU) doit s’assurer que l’Agence des Nations Unies pour les Réfugiés (HCR), en coopération avec la Commission Mouvements des Populations (CMP), développe immédiatement une stratégie afin d’identifier les besoins et vulnérabilités des Personnes Déplacées à l’Intérieur de leur propre pays (PDI) et des familles qui les hébergent. Le leadership du Cluster de Protection doit être amélioré, davantage de personnel expérimenté déployé, et une mission de soutien au Cluster Général de Protection de l’ONU doit être effectuée.

Le Coordinateur des Secours d’Urgence de l’ONU doit demander qu’une mission d’évaluation de l’Agenda Transformateur soit menée au Mali par un Comité Permanent Interinstitutions (CPI) de façon à améliorer le leadership, la coordination, et la responsabilité des bénéficiaires.

L’ébauche actuelle du Plan d’Urgence Humanitaire de la CPI doit être révisé pour répondre aux manquements et – avec le soutien de donateurs – être préparé pour son implémentation, de façon à augmenter l’état de préparation en cas de détérioration des conditions humanitaires.

Les pays donateurs doivent fournir un soutien et une expertise technique aux institutions humanitaires du gouvernement malien, de façon à renforcer leur capacité à répondre aux besoins des PDI et des familles d’accueil vulnérables. Le gouvernement malien doit inviter le Rapporteur Spécial de l’ONU au sein des Droits Humains des Personnes Déplacées à l’Intérieur de leur propre pays, afin de fournir des conseils et une direction à la fois aux institutions humanitaires du gouvernement, et aux membres de l’équipe humanitaire dépendante de l’ONU de ce pays. SOURCE: Refugees International

Iraq: Displacement Monitoring and Needs Assessments Final Report 2012

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 11:45:29 -0800

IOM Iraq maintains a sizeable body of field staff operaing throughout the country. These staff members coninuously monitor the needs and condiions of internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnee families, and vulnerable host communiies by consuling local councils, mayors, mosques, churches, mukhtars, community leaders, and the families themselves. Our field monitors conduct beneficiary and locaion assessments to gather extensive informaion, at the family, community, and governorate levels, regarding demographics, socioeconomic circumstances, migraion acivity, living condiions, and reported needs. Monitors play an important role in informaion collecion and dispersal, as well as in the coordinaion and delivery of imely assistance. SOURCE: International Organization for Migration - Iraq Mission

Gaps in Geneva, Gaps on the Ground: Case Studies of Somalis Displaced to Kenya and Egypt during the 2011 Drought

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 16:49:41 -0800

While most East African countries were badly affected by drought in 2011, the situation was almost beyond imagination in Somalia with famine being declared in several regions (FSNAU and FEWSNET 2011a). It was the most severe humanitarian crisis in the world in 2011 and Africa’s worst food security crisis since Somalia’s 1991 and 1992 famine. Throughout 2011, large numbers of destitute agro-pastoralists and others fled the country in search of assistance. This study explores the experiences of, and responses to, some of the Somalis displaced to Kenya and Egypt.

Among relevant law we find international, regional and domestic refugee law and human rights law. For those displaced to another country in the context of natural hazard-related disasters, however, international law experts in Geneva and elsewhere have identified a normative protection gap (IASC, 2008). Those persecuted for certain listed grounds should be protected as refugees according to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol. A wider group of people, including those fleeing generalised violence and events seriously disturbing public order, should be protected as refugees according to the 1969 African Union Convention governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa. According to the experts, however, there is currently no international law providing a clear and secure base for protection for those displaced in the context of natural hazard-related disasters (IASC, 2008). This is becoming ever more acute as climate change is affecting the intensity and frequency of natural hazards (IPCC, 2012). SOURCE: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees