Crises

Democratic Republic of Congo

Congolese refugees in Rwanda complain of insufficient food, water< (IRIN, 4 February 2013)

New waves of civilians fleeing the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC] for Rwanda have added to the challenge of providing the tens of thousands of such refugees there with adequate food supplies," Abdoulaye Balde, UN World Food Programme (WFP) representative in Rwanda, told IRIN.

On the run, alone and young: Congolese children flee to Uganda< (UNHCR, 7 February 2013)

UNHCR staff have become used to seeing children arriving on their own at the Nyakabande Transit Centre in recent months.

But they were stunned when young Congolese refugee Rachel* turned up with her six siblings and in need of help after fleeing to southern Uganda late last year. They were escaping fighting in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

DRC: UN calls for $892.6 million for aid in 2013 <(UNOCHA, 7 February 2013)

United Nations agencies, humanitarian partners and the Government of D.R. Congo today launched a US$892.6 million Humanitarian Action Plan (HAP) to provide aid to millions of people affected by food insecurity, conflict and disease in 2013.

DR Congo: civilians suffer amid shifting centres of violence< (ICRC, 1 February 2013)

For tens of thousands of displaced and resident families in the eastern part of the country, January has been a constant struggle to find food, water and a semblance of security. The city of Goma and nearby parts of North Kivu have been relatively calm, violence has spread to other regions.

Syria

U.S. Humanitarian Response to the Crisis in Syria< (U.S Department of State)

We welcome this opportunity to discuss the crisis in Syria. There are some important developments to report to you. I want to give you a few points about what’s happening in the neighboring countries to refugees and then a couple points about what our State Department partners are doing inside Syria.

Photoset: Assistant Secretary Richard travels to Lebanon & Jordan to meet w #refugees who had fled Syria. <

Violence follows women, children beyond Syria< (ReliefWeb, 5 February 2013)

As if the war which drove them out of Syria and the hardships of exile were not enough, refugee women and children in Lebanon are facing domestic violence born of stress, deprivation and frustration.

Human Rights Watch urges Lebanon to protect Syrian refugees, enact reform to curb rights abuse <(Washington Post, 7 February 2013)

Human Rights Watch hailed the Lebanese government for keeping its borders open for tens of thousands of Syrians who fled their homes because of fighting between rebels and government troops. However, the U.S.-based watchdog called on authorities to do more to protect refugees from being detained by security services or deported despite a risk of persecution by the Syrian regime.

Officials: Syrian refugees fight over tents in icy Jordanian refugee camp< (Washington Post, 3 February 2013)

Officials say clashes have erupted over tent distribution in a Jordanian camp for Syrian refugees, highlighting the difficult living conditions there.

Refugee affairs spokesman Anmar Hmud said Syrian refugees fought each other, and one was slightly injured. They also tried to attack Jordanian riot police guarding the Zaatari camp Sunday as tents donated by a Norwegian charity were distributed. He said the police fired teargas to disperse the crowd.

Sanctions hit humanitarian aid to Syria< (IRIN, 25 January 2013)

Humanitarian and developmental aid agencies in Syria say international sanctions against the country have made their operations harder.

Breakdown of Syria aid pledges in Kuwait< (IRIN, 1 February 2013)

The international community pledged more than US$1.5 billion in humanitarian aid to Syria on 30 January, in the most successful fundraising conference in UN history - meant to meet the needs of two UN appeals:

The Syria Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan requires $519 million for distributions of food, medicine and hygiene kits, rehabilitation of shelters, and other activities for displaced and needy people inside Syria.

The Regional Response Plan requires a further $1 billion to help the 700,000-plus refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey and Egypt.

Syrian refugees stand resilient in the face of hardships <(ECHO, 2 February 2013)

While the bustling market place portrays a rare semblance of normalcy in this isolated plot of land which is meant to shelter victims of the civil war until the violence in their country subsides, refugees face tremendous challenges as they struggle to adapt. People who used to live in homes now shelter their families in fragile tents mounted on sandy grounds; privacy is almost non-existent with facilities shared and armies of journalists swamp the camp on daily basis. As far as any of them knows, this is their home for an indefinite amount of time.

UNICEF begins delivery of water treatment supplies for 10 million people in Syria< (ReliefWeb, 4 February 2013)

The operation comes amid rising concern over the impact of the 23-month conflict on water pumping stations and other vital infrastructure – and the implications for children’s health in particular. Reports say that the quality and quantity of water supplies continues to deteriorate in different parts of the country and in some areas very severely.

New Problems in Syria: Hepatitis, Closed Hospitals, Ambulance Shortages< (NYT, 5 February 2013)

Outbreaks of hepatitis A and other diseases spread by poor hygiene are now becoming problems among Syrians displaced by the civil war, the World Health Organization said Tuesday. It is one of at least four United Nations agencies seeking to add a new sense of urgency to the humanitarian crisis afflicting the country.

U.N. says 5,000 Syrian refugees fleeing each day< (Reuters, 8 February 2013)

About 5,000 refugees are fleeing Syria each day, seeking safe haven from war and its devastating impact on basic living conditions, the United Nations said on Friday.

An acceleration in the exodus - up from 2,000 to 3,000 late last year - means the total could exceed one million refugees well before the end of June, its previous forecast, the U.N. refugee agency said.

Turkey says has spent $600 million on Syria refugees <(Reuters, 8 February 2013)

Turkey has spent more than $600 million sheltering refugees from the almost two-year-old conflict in neighboring Syria, Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek said on Friday.

Syrian troops battle rebels around Damascus< (Aljazeera, 8 February 2013)

Heavy fighting continues at the capital's outskirts after opposition fighters overran strategic army positions.

Somali

Kenya tensions spark Somali refugee flight< (Aljazeera, 8 February 2013)

Several thousand Somalis have fled Kenya in the last two months because of what they call a climate of xenophobia.

Darfur

Call for humanitarian access after clashes in North Darfur <(IRIN, 8 February 2013)

The African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) is calling for better access to tens of thousands of people displaced by recent inter-tribal fighting in gold-mining areas of Sudan's North Darfur State.

"UNMAID urges all the parties to allow it to do its assigned mission in the area - and all other areas in Darfur - relating to the delivery of humanitarian assistance and undertaking its responsibility in protecting the civilians, according to its mandate [from] the Security Council that relates to protecting the civilians and delivering humanitarian aid," Aicha Elbasri, UNAMID spokesperson, told IRIN.

Immigration

Humanitarian action in a changing landscape: fit for purpose?< (ICRC, 4 February 2013)

The widening gap between humanitarian needs and the ability to deliver an effective response is one such challenge. On the one hand, the needs of people affected by armed conflict and violence are growing in scope and complexity, compounded by the worsening global financial and economic crisis. Poverty and hardship have effectively become more entrenched and chronic than ever, just as dwindling resources are putting governments (and humanitarian organisations) under unprecedented pressure. On the other hand, constraints to humanitarian access – be they military or political in nature – are making it increasingly difficult to address those needs. Syria is just one dramatic example, where the civilian population across the entire country is suffering the consequences of the intensifying fighting, yet the response of humanitarian organisations - facing major political and security constraints – falls dramatically short of the needs of the population.

Remittances, migration and the post-2015 development agenda< (The Guardian, 5 February 2013)

Remittances – money sent home by migrants to family and friends – have tripled in the last decade to record levels. The amount is three times larger than global aid budgets. In a special report last week, we unpicked the latest World Bank estimates of how much is sent, and to where, to see how migrants' money has become a huge part of many economies. We also looked at the stories underneath the numbers, particularly the impact of remittances in poor countries.

Nod to gays in immigration plan creates conflict for Catholic bishops, religious conservatives <(Washington Post, 6 February 2013)

The nation’s Roman Catholic bishops are in a difficult position as the debate over immigration reform gets underway: The immigrant-built American church, known for advocating a broad welcome for migrants and refugees, could end up opposing reform because it would recognize same-sex partners.

The next wave? <(The Economist, 9 February 2013)

No European Union (EU) country is as worried as Britain about the uncontrolled mass immigration that a few predict could be unleashed next year when all 25 EU countries are obliged to open their labour markets fully to Bulgarians and Romanians who joined the union in 2007. This has to do with the country’s Eurosceptic mood, its experience of a big increase in immigration from Poland and other Eastern European countries in 2004—and general ill will towards immigration.

Sommaruga concludes migration accords< (SwissInfo, 6 February 2013)

On the final day of her three-country visit to Africa, Swiss Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga signed an agreement in Angola to deal with failed asylum seekers, similar to one concluded two days before with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Under the accords, the two countries have agreed to accept back their nationals whose asylum application is turned down by Switzerland. But they also provide for broader partnership over immigration issues. In particular, the accords aim to encourage asylum seekers to return home voluntarily, according to a justice ministry statement on Wednesday.

'Migrants in Europe': Commission launches Europe-wide multimedia competition< (European Commission, 1 February 2013)

What is the role and place of migrants in Europe? The Commission is inviting students at schools of art, graphics and communication from all the 27 European Union Member States and Croatia to reflect on the contribution migrants make to societies in Europe.

UN panel 'going for gold' to devise new targets for development <(The Guardian, 1 February 2013)

Deeper conversations with African civil society groups promised as panel member outlines bold agenda covering human rights and inclusive growth

Fear and flight in Nairobi's Eastleigh as police accused of harassing refugees <(The Guardian, 8 February 2013)

Refugees who once fled to Kenya for safety claim extortion and threats rife since government ordered them to move to camps

Analysis: Immigration reform could boost U.S. economic growth< (Reuters, 29 January 2013)

The sluggish U.S. economy could get a lift if President Barack Obama and a bipartisan group of senators succeed in what could be the biggest overhaul of the nation's immigration system since the 1980s.

Relaxed immigration rules could encourage entrepreneurship, increase demand for housing, raise tax revenues and help reduce the budget deficit, economists said.

Business and Labor Unite to Try to Alter Immigration Laws< (NYT, 7 February 2013)

After decades of friction over immigration, the nation’s labor unions and the leading business association, the Chamber of Commerce, have formed an unusual alliance that is pushing hard to revamp American immigration laws.

These oft-feuding groups agree on the need to enact a way for the 11 million immigrants illegally in the United States to gain citizenship. And they are also nearing common ground on a critical issue — the number of guest workers allowed into the country — that has deeply divided business and labor for years and helped to sink President George W. Bush’s push for an immigration overhaul in 2007.

Diaspora-driven development: how to turn wealth to health in Bangladesh< (The Guardian, 5 February 2013)

Sylhet division in north-east Bangladesh, where around 95% of all British-Bengalis trace their origin to, should in theory be the wealthiest and healthiest part of country. The region receives around US $1bn in remittances every year from expatriate Bengalis in the UK alone.

However, wealth hasn't translated to health in Sylhet. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Sylhet has worse literacy and school enrolment rates than all other regions, child malnutrition rates are well over the WHO emergency threshold of 15%, fertility rates are the highest in the country and expectant mothers are more likely to die during child birth in Sylhet than any other part of Bangladesh.

Why is racism rife in the NHS?< (The Guardian, 5 February 2013)

The NHS was physically and metaphorically built with the help of immigrant workers and professionals from across the world. Thousands of doctors immigrated from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka during the 1950s, 60s and 70s, recruited by a health service afflicted by an acute postwar shortage of medical staff. Many settled here permanently despite intending to return home, because the value of their contribution was recognised.

The NHS thrives on equality and diversity. In some specialities, such as general practice, we know that almost a third of the emerging workforce are overseas-qualified. Without these immigrant workers the NHS would come to a standstill.

Asylum seekers

Malaysia accused over deporting Uighur asylum seekers to China< (Associated Press, 5 February 2013)

An international rights group has criticised Malaysia for deporting six ethnic Uighur Chinese who were seeking asylum, saying it has put the men's lives in danger.

New York-based Human Rights Watch said the forced return of the men to China on 31 December was a grave violation of international laws.

Muslim minority Uighurs repatriated to China from elsewhere in the past have expressed fear of long jail terms or the death penalty.

Photocredit © UNHCR/ F.Noy / November 2012