News Headlines

GENEVA: UNHCR starts cross-river repatriation of refugees in Republic of Congo

8 May 2012

GENEVA, May 7 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency has launched a repatriation programme for tens of thousands of refugees who want to return to the Democratic Republic of the Congo from neighbouring Republic of the Congo.

NIGER: UNHCR and WFP chiefs highlight plight of Mali refugees in Niger

7 May 2012

NIAMEY, Niger, May 7 (UNHCR) – UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres has called on the international community to help Malian refugees and host communities in Niger and said a political solution was urgently needed to prevent the situation in the Sahel region from turning into a global crisis.

RWANDA: Concerns about shelter as Congolese refugees arrive in Rwanda

7 May 2012

NKAMIRA TRANSIT CENTRE, Rwanda, May 7 (UNHCR) – Teenager Arsène is all alone in Rwanda; he was separated from his family in the rush to flee fighting between government forces and renegade troops in eastern Congo.

DRC: Almost 20,000 flee fresh fighting in eastern Congo's North Kivu province

4 May 2012

GOMA, Democratic Republic of the Congo, May 4 (UNHCR) – More than 20,000 people have fled fighting between government forces and renegade troops in eastern Congo in recent days and found shelter in areas near the provincial capital of Goma, UNHCR said Friday.

OBO: LRA victims in Central African Republic dream of Kony's demise

3 May 2012

OBO, Central African Republic, May 3 (UNHCR) - The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has been terrorizing south-east Central African Republic for years, forcing thousands to seek refuge in towns like Obo. But since the deployment here last October of US special forces, locals have begun hoping things will change and that LRA leader Joseph Kony will finally be captured.

SOUTH SUDAN: South Kordofan refugees look back in worry

30 April 2012

LOLOGO, South Sudan, April 30 (UNHCR) - If years of war taught Helen Akompeo one thing, it's to run at the first sign of trouble. As a teenager, she survived Sudan's 22-year civil conflict by fleeing with her family into the Nuba Mountains of South Kordofan province. So when Antonov planes droned overhead and armed soldiers entered her village in June last year, her instincts kicked in.

ETHIOPIA: Somali refugees in Ethiopia's Dollo Ado exceed 150,000 as rains hit camps

27 April 2012

NAIROBI, Kenya, April 27 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency said Friday that heavy rains have hit Somali refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya, damaging tents, flooding roads and affecting aid delivery. This comes as the refugee population in southern Ethiopia swells to more than 150,000.

MYANMAR: UNHCR training propels young mechanic with drive to succeed

26 April 2012

MAUNGDAW, Myanmar, April 26 (UNHCR) – As a young boy, Nyi Nyi Naing dreamed of becoming a mechanic. When his parents died three years ago, the then 15-year-old knew he had to make his dream come true.

KENYA: Thriving after a crisis: Security and refugee empowerment in Dadaab

26 April 2012

IFO CAMP, Kenya, April 26 (UNHCR) – Several weeks ago, eight-year-old Camilla Mohamed Ali arrived at the hospital severely malnourished, swelling with edema and in a coma. And for weeks she passed though the intricate, razor-like days during which she teetered between life and death.

SUDAN: Recent fighting near Sudan-South Sudan border displaces 35,000

24 April 2012

JUBA, South Sudan, April 24 (UNHCR) – Recent fighting near the border between Sudan and South Sudan has displaced some 35,000 people in areas around Heglig, Talodi and other parts of Sudan's South Kordofan province.

ECUADOR: Angelina Jolie visits Ecuador on first mission as UNHCR Special Envoy

23 April 2012

LAGO AGRIO, Ecuador, April 23 (UNHCR) – Angelina Jolie, making her third trip to meet Colombian refugees in Ecuador, has called on the government to keep an open asylum policy and maintain its tradition of helping vulnerable people in need.

SYRIA: UNHCR warns of funding shortfall for operations to help Syrian refugees

20 April 2012

GENEVA, April 20 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency on Friday said the United Nations and its partners are implementing essential programmes to assist Syrian refugees and their host communities despite the slow response to a funding appeal last month for US$84 million to help Syrians in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq.

GENEVA: Annual IDP report shows conflicts uproot millions; six-fold increase in Middle East

19 April 2012

GENEVA, April 19 (UNHCR) – The Norwegian Refugee Council's (NRC) annual report on internal displacement said Thursday that there were 26.4 million people displaced within their own countries at the end of 2011, including 3.5 million forced to flee their homes during the year.

GENEVA: Angelina Jolie appointed special envoy of UNHCR chief

17 April 2012

GENEVA, April 17 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency announced on Tuesday that actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie will take on a new and expanded role for UNHCR as Special Envoy of High Commissioner António Guterres.

MALI: UNHCR deeply concerned by deteriorating situation in Mali

3 April 2012

GENEVA, April 3 (UNHCR) - The UN refugee agency said Tuesday it is "deeply concerned" by the deteriorating political and security situation in Mali, where thousands of people continue to flee their homes.

LIBYA: Vulnerable Somalis suffer to reach Libya in search of safety and a future

2 April 2012

TRIPOLI, Libya, 02 April (UNHCR) – Hamda,* a mother of two, was beaten by smugglers, raped by armed men in Chad and jailed for a month in southern Libya. Twelve-year-old Abdul* ended up all on his own in a camp in Tripoli after his uncle died from malaria as they crossed the scorching Sahara.

PAKISTAN: UNHCR assisting thousands displaced by security operation in Pakistan

30 March 2012

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, March 30 (UNHCR) – UNHCR, together with other UN agencies, is assisting tens of thousands of people who have fled fighting in parts of Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), which border Afghanistan.

SOUTH SUDAN: Recovering from the Lord's Resistance Army

30 March 2012

YAMBIO, South Sudan, March 30 (UNHCR) – It happened three years ago, but Anna* remembers it vividly. "They attacked our village on a Wednesday," she says. It was the school holidays and Anna, then 19, was visiting her parents in Gbado village in northern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

DRC: Hundreds more flee continuing LRA attacks in north-east Congo

30 March 2012

DUNGU, Democratic Republic of the Congo, March 30 (UNHCR) – Continuing attacks by the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) have displaced more than 1,200 people and killed two in north-east Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) this month. This brings the known number of displaced in Orientale province this year to more than 4,200, but the figure could be higher.

KENYA: Kenyan camp sees influx from Sudan, South Sudan

28 March 2012

KAKUMA, Kenya, March 27 (UNHCR) – When Kakuma camp was first set in 1992, it hosted thousands of refugees fleeing the civil war in Sudan. Twenty years later, the refugee camp in north-western Kenya is now filling up again with a new influx of people fleeing conflict in parts of South Sudan and Sudan.

GENEVA: Asylum claims in industrialized countries up sharply in 2011

27 March 2012

GENEVA, March 27 (UNHCR) – A report released on Tuesday by the UN refugee agency shows that new conflicts and a rising outflow from older crisis spots such as Afghanistan together contributed to a 20 per cent rise in asylum claims in industrialized countries in 2011.

SOUTH SUDAN: UNHCR fears effect of Sudan border insecurity on refugee safety in Yida

27 March 2012

JUBA, South Sudan, March 27 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency said Tuesday that recurrent fighting in the Lake Jau border area is making it increasingly worried about the safety of Sudanese refugees in nearby Yida settlement.

EGYPT: UNHCR works to improve conditions for hundreds at Egyptian border

22 March 2012

SALLUM, Egypt, March 22 (UNHCR) – The cramped site for refugees at the Sallum border crossing has to be one of the most difficult UNHCR is facing anywhere. "The location where the refugees and [other] people of concern are accommodated is, by any definition, in the wrong place," said Yvan Sturm, head of the UNHCR team in Sallum, where the agency has been providing vital protection assistance and material aid for the past year.

MALI: As tens of thousands flee, UNHCR ups assistance to Malian refugees

20 March 2012

GENEVA, March 20 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency said Tuesday it is boosting assistance to the thousands of Malians who have been uprooted by fighting between Tuareg rebels and Malian forces since mid-January.

ETHIOPIA: Fear of compulsory recruitment drives Eritrean teen to flee home

19 March 2012

MAI-AINI REFUGEE CAMP, Ethiopia, March 19 (UNHCR) – Gebre* knew the dangers as well as any 13-year-old. He understood that to be captured fleeing his country by the Eritrean border guards could mean jail or worse. And anyone taking the route to Ethiopia via Sudan could be held for ransom.

SYRIA: UNHCR appoints regional refugee coordinator for Syrian refugees

13 March 2012

GENEVA, March 13 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency announced on Tuesday the appointment of a veteran of emergency operations to coordinate its approach to the refugee crisis in Syria and neighbouring countries, which have received some 30,000 Syrian civilians.

DRC: Congo arms depot blast victims crowd shelter sites in Brazzaville

12 March 2012

BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of the Congo, March 12 (UNHCR) – Chantal is desperate for shelter. The 43-year-old was among an estimated 14,000 people left homeless and in urgent need of assistance when an arms depot exploded on March 4 in an eastern district of Brazzaville, capital of the Republic of Congo.

ETHIOPIA: Tribal clashes force 15,000 Lou Nuer people to flee to Ethiopia

13 March 2012

GENEVA, March 13 (UNHCR) – Some 15,000 Lou Nuer tribespeople have fled to western Ethiopia from South Sudan in recent weeks to escape clashes with a rival tribe and for fear of reprisal attacks.

ETHIOPIA: Southern Sudanese refugees search for kin in Ethiopian camps

7 March 2012

SHERKOLE REFUGEE CAMP, Ethiopia, March 5 (UNHCR) – Everyone in this camp seems to be looking for someone. And those who have stopped searching are fighting off tears.

SOUTH SUDAN: Hundreds flee fresh violence on Sudan-South Sudan border

6 March 2012

GENEVA, March 6 (UNHCR) – Hundreds of people have been fleeing to South Sudan's Upper Nile state and western Ethiopia to escape renewed fighting in disputed border areas between Sudan and South Sudan.

SOUTH SUDAN: Back on track - Journey "home" to South Sudan

5 March 2012

KHARTOUM, Sudan, March 5 (UNHCR) – After months of living in limbo, some 1,400 southern Sudanese recently started the long journey to South Sudan on board the year's first southbound train from the Sudan capital of Khartoum.

ETHIOPIA: Their lives in upheaval, refugee children in Ethiopia find solace in school

29 February 2012

TONGO Camp, Ethiopia, February 29 (UNHCR) – In a tent schoolroom near the top of a hill, the refugee children from Sudan sit shoulder-to-shoulder on wooden benches or on the dirt floor. The littlest ones make themselves at home in the front of the class so they can have a clear view of the blackboard.

DRC: A Congolese refugee child dreams of going home

22 February 2012

BETOU, Republic of Congo, 22 February (UNHCR) – Obed speaks slowly, looking at the ground, as he describes what seemed an idyllic childhood before his family was forced to flee across the nearby river that separates his refugee camp from his homeland.

DRC: Congolese mother seeks new birth back home

16 February 2012

BETOU, Republic of the Congo, February 16 (UNHCR) – She looks like an adolescent, but at 25 years of age, Odette already has five children of her own. The sixth will arrive next month, and she is hoping it will not be born in a refugee camp.

SOUTH SUDAN: UNHCR seeks US$145 million to help tens of thousands of Sudanese refugees

10 February 2012

GENEVA, February 10 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency on Friday called on donor nations for an additional US$145 million to fund its emergency aid operation for tens of thousands of civilians fleeing fighting in two Sudan states and seeking shelter in Ethiopia and South Sudan.

DRC: Widow conquers her fears and ekes out a living in Congo exile

9 February 2012

BONDO, Democratic Republic of the Congo, February 8 (UNHCR) – When a vicious Ugandan rebel group forced Marianne and fellow villagers to flee their home in Central African Republic, there was one thing she feared more than anything.

KENYA: Dadaab - World's biggest refugee camp 20 years old

21 February 2012

GENEVA, 21 February (UNHCR) – This year is the 20th anniversary of the world's biggest refugee camp, Dadaab in north-eastern Kenya.

SOMALIA: Thousands of Somalis flee renewed clashes into Mogadishu

17 February 2012

MOGADISHU, Somalia, February 17 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency is calling for the protection of civilians as thousands of people flee escalating conflict in Somalia's Afgooye corridor.

MALI: UNHCR boosts aid as Mali outflow doubles in size

17 February 2012

GAOUDEL, Niger, February 17 (UNHCR) – More than 44,000 people have fled the month-long violence in northern Mali, with arrival numbers in the region doubling in the last 10 days. This exodus could increase amid reports of fighting in areas bordering Algeria.

MALI: UNHCR set to help relocate thousands of Malian refugees from borders

14 March 2012

GENEVA, February 14 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency said Friday it has begun planning with the governments of Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Niger to relocate refugees fleeing Mali to safer locations away from border areas.

MALI: UNHCR steps up emergency response to crisis in Mali

7 February 2012

GENEVA, February 10 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency on Friday stepped up its response to the growing displacement crisis in Mali, launching an aid airlift with a flight to Nema in Mauritania carrying 300 tents. It was the first of four planned aid flights to countries sheltering civilians fleeing clashes in Mali between the armed forces and Tuareg rebels.

MYANMAR: Karens in Kentucky find new life challenging

3 February 2012

LOUISVILLE, United States, February 3 (UNHCR) – One rainy winter day in a working class neighbourhood of Louisville, Kentucky, Hsar Say flipped through the classified ads looking for jobs while his wife cooked a fish curry in the kitchen of their damp basement apartment.

DRC: UNHCR alarmed at reports of atrocities against displaced Congolese

3 February 2012

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of the Congo, February 3 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency said Friday it was alarmed by recent reports that Congolese civilians have been tortured and killed by armed groups entering camps for the internally displaced in the volatile province of North Kivu. The agency called for more security in and around the camps.

MALI: UNHCR addresses needs of 20,000 forced to flee violence in Mali

7 February 2012

GENEVA, February 7 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency has deployed emergency teams to countries surrounding Mali to help meet the needs of some 20,000 people who have been forced to flee fighting in the north of the country. Most of the displaced are in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mauritania.

PAKISTAN: Pakistan, UNHCR agree new regional approach to Afghan refugees

2 February 2012

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, February 2 (UNHCR) – UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres on Thursday thanked Pakistan for its hospitality towards Afghan refugees while praising its continued commitment to finding lasting solutions to the situation.

GENEVA: UNHCR project brings light, security and fuel-efficient cooking to refugees

26 January 2012

GENEVA, January 26 (UNHCR) – A UNHCR programme to provide lighting and fuel-efficient stoves in African refugee camps has helped children with their studies and and improved safety for women and girls.

SOUTH SUDAN: UNHCR alarmed at air raid on vulnerable refugees in South Sudan

24 January 2012

JUBA, South Sudan, January 24 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency on Tuesday condemned an air attack earlier this week that left at least one Sudanese boy injured and 14 other refugees missing in South Sudan.

YEMEN: A record 103,000 refugees and migrants cross the high seas to Yemen in 2011

20 January 2012

GENEVA, January 20 (UNHCR) – Despite growing instability and a worsening security situation in Yemen, a record 103,000 refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants risked the perilous high seas to reach the Middle East nation from Africa.

DRC: More than 100,000 flee fresh violence in eastern Congo since November

20 January 2012

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of the Congo, January 20 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency is concerned about fresh violence in eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo that has forced more than 100,000 civilians to flee their homes since November.

TIMOR-LESTE: Timor-Leste vows never to turn back on refugees as UNHCR office closes

12 January 2012

DILI, Timor-Leste, January 12 (UNHCR) – In a ceremony filled with personal reminiscences, Timor Leste's President José Ramos-Horta on Thursday thanked the UN refugee agency for helping see his young country through the humanitarian crises of its early years.

SUDAN: UNHCR chief ends Sudan visit with relief for 'old' refugees, risks for new ones

13 January 2012

KHARTOUM, Sudan, January 13 (UNHCR) – UN refugee agency chief António Guterres ended a visit to Sudan this week by hailing efforts towards lasting solutions for thousands of long-staying refugees in eastern Sudan, while raising concerns about the trafficking of vulnerable people in the region, including asylum-seekers.

SOUTH SUDAN: UNHCR chief appeals for massive humanitarian support for South Sudan

9 January 2012

DORO CAMP, South Sudan, January 9 (UNHCR) – UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres on Monday called on the international community to provide "massive" humanitarian support for South Sudan, which faces major forced displacement crises.

UGANDA: UNHCR wraps up one of world's biggest IDP operations in Uganda

6 January 2012

GULU, Uganda, January 6 (UNHCR) – Lucky David Wilson was born in a war zone in troubled times, but somehow manages to live up to his name.

SOUTH SUDAN: Running on empty, Sudanese refugees urged to leave unsafe border site

30 December 2011

UNITY STATE, South Sudan, December 30 (UNHCR) – Bombs fell from the Southern Kordofan sky and Zahara* could hear them as they crashed into her village. The 20-year-old heard the explosions and she grabbed her two children and ran. She ran from her home in Lehemid in the Nuba mountains and to the next town.

PHILIPPINES: In flood-hit Philippines, UNHCR aid offers a glimmer of hope

28 December 2011

MANDULOG, Philippines, December 28 (UNHCR) - The UN refugee agency began working with communities affected by the Mindanao conflict in May 2010. Shortly after tropical storm Washi hit, it joined the UN response to support government relief efforts, as the lead agency for the protection cluster. UNHCR decided to target its first emergency assistance to communities that have suffered a double whammy - weakened by years of conflict and now hit by floods.

Q&A: Top UNHCR official optimistic after "significant" visit to Myanmar

13 December 2011

GENEVA, December 13 (UNHCR) – Erika Feller, the UN refugee agency's most senior protection official, recently paid a significant visit to Myanmar, where UNHCR has operations in Rakhine state in the west, and in the south-east of the country, where displacement along the Mynamar-Thai border is an issue. UNHCR estimates that northern Rakhine state hosts some 750,000 Muslim residents without citizenship. Independent observers have noticed important openings for humanitarian operations in Myanmar since the forming of a new government late last year. For the Assistant High Commissioner, this was reflected in more open and productive meetings with ministers and other senior officials and the permission given her to meet opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Feller spoke to UNHCR public information officers Babar Baloch and Leo Dobbs about her trip: Excerpts from the interview:

ETHIOPIA: From oil to toil, Thai worker leaves Ethiopia camp with UNHCR help

12 December 2011

ASSOSA, Ethiopia, December 12 (UNHCR) – In a remote corner of Ethiopia, home to more than 9,000 refugees from Sudan's Blue Nile state, one man stuck out like a sore thumb. For weeks, 65-year-old Buntha Mkewyu ate, slept and lived alongside his Sudanese friends in Tongo refugee camp, but it was clear he didn't quite belong.

SOMALIA: Poor weather, conflict exacerbate dire situation for Somali civilians

11 November 2011

NAIROBI, Kenya, November 11 (UNHCR) – Continuing conflict and bad weather in Somalia are further aggravating the dire humanitarian situation in Somalia. UNHCR staff in the south-western border town of Dobley say fewer refugees are crossing into Kenya. Rains which have made roads impassable and fear of being caught up in conflict are being cited as the main reasons.

NEW YORK: UNHCR chief Guterres warns of security, displacement threats from climate change

23 November 2011

NEW YORK, United States, November 22 (UNHCR) – UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres today warned the UN Security Council in New York of the growing threat to international peace and security from climate change and its interaction with other mass displacement factors.

SUDAN: UNHCR concerned about thousands of refugees in South Sudan border areas

18 November 2011

GENEVA, November 18 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency on Friday expressed concern about the security of thousands of refugees in South Sudan border areas as fighting in neighbouring Sudan continues to drive civilians across the frontier.

GENEVA: Asylum applications in industrialized countries rise in first six months in 2011

18 October 2011

GENEVA, October 18 (UNHCR) –Industrialized countries saw a 17 per cent increase in asylum applications in the first half of this year, with most claimants coming from countries with long-standing displacement situations.

PAKISTAN: Survey of Afghan refugees in Pakistan will help plot future course

16 November 2011

ATTOCK, Pakistan, November 16 (UNHCR) – Haji Saadat never imagined he would spend more than three decades in exile when he first fled Afghanistan and took refuge in Pakistan.

SOMALIA: Almost 320,000 civilians flee Somalia this year, including 20,000 to Yemen

21 October 2011

GENEVA, October 21 (UNHCR) –The deteriorating humanitarian situation in Somalia has forced almost 320,000 Somalis to flee their country so far this year. "While the majority are seeking safety and aid in neighbouring Kenya and Ethiopia, many Somalis continue to head northwards to embark on the risky sea journey across the Gulf of Aden," UNHCR spokesman Andrej Mahecic told journalists in Geneva on Friday.

SUDAN: UNHCR moves Sudanese refugees away from volatile border area

20 October 2011

ASSOSA, Ethiopia, October 20 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency has started moving some 600 Sudanese refugees away from border areas amid fears that fighting inside Sudan could spill across the border into Ethiopia.

PAKISTAN: Pakistan floods bring further pain to a life marked by loss

11 October 2011

SANGHAR, Pakistan, October 11 (UNHCR) – Imya Kolhu's life had already been touched by tragedy before her home was inundated. The floods which struck last month collapsed her house, fatally injuring her grandson and snatching away what little hope she had for the future.

ETHIOPIA: UNHCR faces challenges helping Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia

11 October 2011

KURMUK, Ethiopia, October 11 (UNHCR) – Gisman Usman slept when the Antonov bomber arrived. She didn't hear its drone, even when it circled her village in the Sudan. And so when the 20-year-old woke to the blast of a bomb ripping away the back of her tin roof house, the first thought in her mind was to run. But she couldn't move. In an instant, her left leg had become nothing.

PHILIPPINES: Mindanao's indigenous people ask UNHCR's help to gain their rights

10 October 2011

TIMANAN VILLAGE, Philippines, October 10 (UNHCR) – Probably few people have more right to complain than the 300 remote forest dwellers outside this small village. Chased from their ancestral mountaintop land by unidentified armed men six times since 1990, they finally fled for good just over a year ago after two of their number were killed.

GENEVA: UNHCR chief seeks more international support to solve the Somali refugee situation

7 October 2011

GENEVA, October 7 (UNHCR) – UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres wrapped up the annual meeting of UNHCR's governing Executive Committee, or ExCom, on Friday with a fresh call for international support to find a solution to the plight of Somali refugees.

ETHIOPIA: Thousands more flee air strikes in Sudan's Blue Nile State

27 September 2011

ASSOSA, Ethiopia, September 27 (UNHCR) – A fresh wave of air strikes in Sudan's Blue Nile State since last Wednesday has sent increasing numbers of refugees fleeing into Ethiopia, with some 1,500 pouring through the Kurmuk border crossing last Friday alone. The latest bombs reportedly fell Monday.

PAKISTAN: UNHCR steps up assistance to Pakistan flood victims

20 September 2011

BADIN, Pakistan, September 20 (UNHCR) – UNHCR teams are ramping up their distribution of tents and other emergency aid supplies to families displaced by severe flooding in Pakistan. The refugee agency has committed to supplying 70,000 tents and 70,000 emergency aid kits containing household items as well as other relief items to flood victims.

SOMALIA: Somali refugees learn to live together in new tented town rising in Kenya

19 September 2011

IFO EXTENSION, Kenya, September 19 (UNHCR) – In a windy desert camp, two women vigorously insult each other over who will be the first to fill their plastic can with water. Either side of a standpipe, they hurl epithets. For much of their lives, the women have been accustomed to travelling several kilometres for the precious substance and it is a resource worth battling over. Arguments such as this can quickly evolve into blood feuds involving entire families.

SOMALIA: Health situation improves for Somalis in Ethiopia; World Bank grants US$30 million to help refugees

16 September 2011

DOLLO ADO, Ethiopia, September 16 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency said Friday that as Somali refugees continue to arrive daily in Ethiopia, the health and nutrition situation is improving in the camps they are heading for.

SOUTH SUDAN: Thousands flee to South Sudan to escape clashes in Southern Kordofan

16 September 2011

JUAB, South Sudan, September 16 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency said Friday that more than 8,000 civilians have fled into the newly independent South Sudan to escape fighting in a volatile border state of Sudan.

LIBYA UPDATE: 16 September, 2011

16 September 2011

UNHCR and partners in Libya continue to be concerned about the situation of third-country nationals, including refugees. UNHCR and IOM have been working closelywith the National Transitional Council Stabilization Team to try to improve theprotection situation for refugees and migrants.

PAKISTAN: UNHCR delivers tents, relief supplies to flood-ravaged areas of Pakistan

14 September 2011

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, September 14 (UNHCR) – Following a request by Pakistan for international humanitarian assistance in responding to severe flooding, UNHCR is sending thousands of family tents and other crucial relief supplies to affected communities in Sindh and Balochistan provinces.

DRC: Refugee returnees in eastern Congo get title deeds for first time

14 September 2011

UVIRA, Democratic Republic of the Congo, September 14 (UNHCR) – Fifteen years after losing everything he owned and fleeing overseas, a joyous Salumu clutches a document that he believes holds the key to a new, better life.

SOMALIA: Children bear brunt of Somali refugee crisis

6 September 2011

Somali children are the biggest victims of the refugee crisis in the Horn of Africa, according to the latest profiling data collected by UNHCR in Ethiopia. The most recent demographic breakdown of the Somali influx into Ethiopia shows that children under the age of 18 are the largest age group among refugees. Overall, they account for some 80 per cent of the 121,000 refugees sheltered in four camps in south-eastern Ethiopia’s Dollo Ado region.

SOMALIA: UNHCR chief Guterres calls for scaled-up aid effort inside Somalia

30 August 2011

DOLLOW, Somalia, August 30 (UNHCR) – UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres visited Somalia on Tuesday and called for greater efforts to provide life-saving aid to tens of thousands of displaced Somalis inside their country.

KENYA: IKEA Foundation gives UNHCR US$62 million for Somali refugees in Kenya

30 August 2011

GENEVA, August 30 (UNHCR) – The IKEA Foundation has donated US$62 million to UNHCR for the agency's expanding operation to help tens of thousands of Somali civilians at the huge Dadaab refugee complex in north-east Kenya.

SOMALIA: Somali exodus slows in Horn of Africa but grows in Yemen

26 August 2011

GENEVA, August 26 (UNHCR) – The number of people fleeing their homes in Somalia on a daily basis has been falling this month, but a growing number of Somalis have been risking the high seas to reach Yemen.

ETHIOPIA: Saving Somali children: Striving to stave off a health crisis in Ethiopian camp

26 August 2011

KOBE REFUGEE CAMP, Ethiopia, August 26 (UNHCR) – Every grave tells a story and today the gravedigger relates the tale of a little Somali girl. First, she had diarrhoea. Then a fever and rashes surfaced on her body. Her eyes turned red. Over five days her condition grew worse. Finally, 10-year-old Hawaba Maday Issak perished. She was the fourth child in her family to die in the last 45 days.

LIBYA: UNHCR chief Guterres calls for safety of third-country nationals in Libya

22 August 2011

GENEVA, August 22 (UNHCR) – UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres today called on all sides of the conflict in Libya to ensure that the thousands of third-country nationals trapped in Tripoli and other areas by the continuing fighting are properly protected from harm.

LIBYA: UNHCR concerned as sub-Saharan Africans targeted in Libya

26 August 2011

GENEVA, August 26 (UNHCR) – UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres has issued a strong call for sub-Saharan Africans to be protected in Libya as reports emerge from Tripoli of people being targeted because of their colour as the city fell to rebel forces.

KENYA: UNHCR distributes aid to 30,000 displaced Somalis in past week

19 August 2011

NAIROBI, Kenya, August 19 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency said Friday it is continuing to distribute emergency aid to displaced people in southern and central Somalia, reaching some 30,000 of them this week alone.

ETHIOPIA: UNHCR aid makes a difference in Mogadishu, but still not enough

18 August 2011

MOGADISHU, Somalia, August 18 (UNHCR) – Kadija is in shock. Over the past two weeks, the 32-year-old Somali has lost her livelihood, fled her rural home and ended up in a dismal settlement in one of the most dangerous cities on earth.

ETHIOPIA: UNHCR addresses "alarming" level of child mortality in Ethiopian camp

16 August 2011

DOLLO ADO, Ethiopia, August 16 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency said Tuesday that child mortality rates at a camp for Somali refugees in eastern Ethiopia have reached "alarming" levels, with an average of 10 children under the age of five dying every day since the facility opened in June.

HORN OF AFRICA CRISIS: Aid efforts in the Horn of Africa need to be scaled up further, says UN Relief Chief

17 August 2011

The United Nations humanitarian chief today stressed the need to further scale up efforts to assist the millions of people suffering in Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa, warning that more lives will be lost to famine and disease without urgent action.

HORN OF AFRICA CRISIS - Humanitarian Update

12 August 2011

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 12 August 2011, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

KENYA: UNHCR readies for transfer of Somali refugees to new camp areas

12 August 2011

DADAAB, Kenya, August 11 (UNHCR) – Staff from UNHCR and partner organizations were on Friday completing preparations for moving Somali refugee families from this weekend into a new area of the Dadaab refugee camp complex in northern Kenya.

EAST AFRICA: UNHCR seeks US$145 million in fresh appeal for Horn of Africa emergency

28 July 2011

GENEVA, July 28 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency on Thursday appealed for an extra US$8.6 million to expand its humanitarian assistance in the East and Horn of Africa. This comes as severe famine and continuing violence aggravate the mass displacement of people both inside Somalia and across its borders.

GENEVA: UNHCR offices mark 60th anniversary of landmark UN Refugee Convention

28 July 2011

GENEVA, July 28 (UNHCR) – UNHCR offices around the world on Thursday marked the 60th anniversary of the UN Refugee Convention – the legal foundation on which most of the agency's work worldwide is based. The landmark comes at a time when forced displacement has become increasingly complex and as developing countries struggle to host millions of refugees.

CONGO: Longing to Go Back - Congolese returnee impressed by changes at home

28 July 2011

DOLISIE, Republic of Congo, July 28 (UNHCR) – Joseph Pepidi is staggered at the changes in his home town after living in neighbouring Gabon for the past 12 years. He's also delighted and wishes he'd returned from enforced exile earlier

PAKISTAN: One year after Pakistan floods, humanitarian efforts for victims continue

28 July 2011

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, July 27 (UNHCR) – One year after the onset of the worst flooding in Pakistan's history, efforts to aid those who lost everything in the disaster continue, with UNHCR working to provide 45,000 vulnerable families with new homes.

SOMALIA: Famine victims converge on Mogadishu; region's camps report deaths

22 July 2011

GENEVA, July 22 (UNHCR) – Uprooted by famine and conflict, more than 20,000 desperate people have sought refuge in the Somali capital Mogadishu so far this month. Thousands more continue to flee into the region, some on the brink of death.

SOMALIA: UNHCR boosts aid delivery inside Somalia

19 July 2011

GENEVA, July 19 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency is increasing the delivery of emergency aid in Somalia's south and west while tracking the movement of people into neighbouring countries in order to improve assistance.

KENYA: UNHCR starts emergency airlift of tents to Kenya, Ethiopia

18 July 2011

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 18 (UNHCR) – The first airlifts of UNHCR tents have arrived in Ethiopia and Kenya and are being rushed to the borders with Somalia to shelter thousands of emaciated Somali refugees fleeing conflict and drought.

KENYA: UNHCR welcomes camp extension at Dadaab, Kenya

15 July 2011

GENEVA, July 15 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency has welcomed Kenya's decision to open a new camp extension for Somali refugees fleeing conflict and drought back home. This extension will help to ease pressure on existing camps struggling to absorb tens of thousands of new arrivals.

PAKISTAN: UNHCR steps up aid as tens of thousands displaced in Pakistan's border area

12 July 2011

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, July 12 (UNHCR) – Tens of thousands of people have been displaced in Pakistan’s Kurram agency as the military expands anti-insurgent operations in the country’s north-west. The UN refugee agency is stepping up aid efforts following a UN assessment mission last weekend.

SOUTH SUDAN: Displacement scenarios surrounding South Sudan secession

11 July 2011

GENEVA, July 11 (UNHCR) – As South Sudan became an independent country last weekend, the UN refugee agency joined the international community in welcoming this historic event. However, there are a number of ongoing displacement situations affecting the country. Dominik Bartsch, UNHCR Operations Manager for Chad and Sudan, recently spoke to Geneva-based journalists on the issue.

KENYA: "We're in a crisis right now": World's biggest refugee camp sees alarming spike in child deaths

11 July 2011

DADAAB, Kenya, July 11 (UNHCR) – With the worst drought in 60 years gripping huge swathes of east Africa, UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres spent Sunday touring this vast refugee complex to see for himself the desperate situation for the thousands of Somalis now arriving here every week.

WORLD REFUGEE DAY: UNHCR report finds 80 per cent of world's refugees in developing countries

20 June 2011

GENEVA, June 20 (UNHCR) – A UNHCR report released today reveals deep imbalance in international support for the world's forcibly displaced, with a full four-fifths of the world's refugees being hosted by developing countries – and at a time of rising anti-refugee sentiment in many industrialized ones.

WORLD REFUGEE DAY: UNHCR chief appeals to industrialized world as annual celebrations get under way

20 June 2011

GENEVA, June 20 (UNHCR) – As UNHCR celebrated World Refugee Day during the agency's 60th anniversary year, High Commissioner António Guterres appealed on Monday to industrialized countries to do more to help developing nations in dealing with huge refugee populations.

LIBYA: Angelina Jolie and UNHCR chief Guterres visit boat people on Italian island

19 June 2011

LAMPEDUSA ISLAND, Italy, June 19 (UNHCR) – Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie and UNHCR chief António Guterres met boat people, including unaccompanied minors, on a tiny Italian island on Sunday and remembered those who have lost their lives trying to reach Lampedusa by sea from Africa.

LIBYA: UNHCR chief returns to Tunisia to meet refugees from Libya

17 June 2011

CHOUCHA CAMP, Tunisia, June 17 (UNHCR) – UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres returned this week to North Africa and issued a fresh call for the international community to help countries like Tunisia who have sheltered hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the violence in Libya.

SYRIA: Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie visits Syrian refugees in Turkey

17 June 2011

HATAY PROVINCE, Turkey, June 17 (UNHCR) – UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie travelled on Friday to Turkey's border with Syria, meeting with many of the refugees who have fled their country in recent weeks.

SUDAN: UNHCR seeks access to tens of thousands of displaced Sudanese

14 June 2011

GENEVA, June 14 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency called Tuesday on local and central authorities to allow air and road access for humanitarian agencies trying to help thousands of forcibly displaced people in the capital of Sudan's Southern Kordofan border state.

GENEVA: UNHCR plans rich World Refugee Day programme during 60th year

10 June 2011

GENEVA, June 10 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency, in its 60th year, will mark World Refugee Day with a rich and varied programme of events in locations worldwide and the launch of a new global awareness campaign.

KYRGYZSTAN: UNHCR calls for confidence-building to sustain returns to south Kyrgyzstan

10 June 2011

OSH, Kyrgyzstan, June 10 (UNHCR) – A year after violence erupted in southern Kyrgyzstan, tens of thousands of people are still unable to go home. The UN refugee agency has called for more confidence-building efforts to ensure sustainable returns and genuine reconciliation.

GENEVA: UNHCR urges states to redefine response to climate-induced displacement

6 June 2011

OSLO, Norway, June 6 (UNHCR) – The world needs to urgently redefine its response to natural disasters and displacement, said UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres today as he urged countries to adopt new measures to cope with climate-induced displacement within and across borders.

COTE D'IVOIRE: Stranded Liberian refugees return home from Côte d'Ivoire

27 May 2011

MONROVIA, Liberia, May 27 (UNHCR) – More than 200 Liberian refugees have ended months of ordeal in strife-torn Côte d'Ivoire by returning home as the UN refugee agency resumed airlifts to Liberia this week.

TUNISIA: UNHCR urges more international support to ease tensions at Tunisia border camp

27 May 2011

CHOUCHA CAMP, Tunisia, May 27 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency has urged donor and resettlement countries to step up assistance for thousands of refugees and migrant workers caught up in this week's disturbances at a camp near the Tunisia-Libya border.

PAKISTAN: Q&A: In refugee situation spanning decades, one ministry leads response

26 May 2011

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, May 26 (UNHCR) – For more than 30 years, Pakistan has been host to one of the largest and longest-running refugee situations in the world. Beginning with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, successive waves of Afghans have sought refuge in neighbouring Pakistan. After the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan in late 2001, many again returned home. Still, some 1.7 million Afghan refugees remain in Pakistan. Responsibility for the Afghan population has always fallen on Pakistan's Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON). Dr. Imram Zeb is SAFRON's Joint Secretary and he recently spoke with UNHCR's Tim Irwin in his office in Islamabad. Excerpts from the interview...

SYRIA: UNHCR works with Lebanon to help thousands fleeing Syria violence

20 May 2011

BEIRUT, Lebanon, May 20 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency is taking part in efforts to help thousands of Syrians who have fled violence in their country and escaped to the border areas of Wadi Khaled and Tall Bire in northern Lebanon.

LIBYA: Hundreds risk return to Libya in bid to reach Europe by boat

17 May 2011

GENEVA, May 17 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency said Tuesday that hundreds of displaced people have been crossing back into Libya from Tunisia and Egypt with the intention of boarding boats to reach Europe.

LIBYA: Death on the Mediterranean

13 May 2011

CHOUCHA CAMP, Tunisia, May 13 (UNHCR) – Bayisa* has suffered a lot in his short life, but nothing prepared him and his two friends, Gudissa* and Nagassa,* for the ordeal the three Ethiopian refugees faced, and barely survived, on the high seas between Libya and Italy.

LIBYA: More civilians flee Libya's Western Mountains, new aid reaches the east

26 April 2011

GENEVA, April 26 (UNHCR) – The number of civilians fleeing to southern Tunisia to escape fighting and shelling in Libya's Western Mountains within the past month has passed the 30,000 mark.

WASHINGTON: Washington forum debates protection for refugees persecuted for their sexuality

20 April 2011

WASHINGTON, DC, United States, April 19 (UNHCR) – A senior UNHCR official has called for stepped up efforts to protect the thousands of refugees and asylum-seekers persecuted every year for their sexual orientation and gender identity.

UGANDA: Computer Gateways to Self-Sufficiency

21 April 2011

In 2009, UNHCR launched a special programme to give refugees and internally displaced people access to computers in a bid to open up education and livelihood opportunities to them.

LIBYA: Thousands of Libyans flee fighting in west into Tunisia

19 April 2011

DEHIBA, Tunisia, April 19 (UNHCR) – A growing number of Libyan refugees have been arriving in Tunisia from Libya's Western Mountains regions, the UN refugee agency reported on Tuesday.

CHAD: Chadians fleeing Libya return to oasis of calm

18 April 2011

FAYA, Chad, April 18 (UNHCR) – Thousands of Chadians have returned to northern Chad after fleeing the unrest in neighbouring Libya and braving a long journey through one of the most hostile terrains on earth.

SOMALIA: Gulf of Aden drownings raise concerns over smuggling and rescue-at-sea tradition

15 April 2011

GENEVA, April 15 (UNHCR) –Refugee drownings in the Gulf of Aden this week have raised the UN refugee agency's concerns over the inhumane practices of smugglers and called into question the longstanding tradition of rescue at sea.

LIBYA: Lack of funds threatening UNHCR's work in Libya, neighbouring countries

15 April 2011

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Andrej Mahecic – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 15 April 2011, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

COTE D'IVOIRE: Côte d'Ivoire needs reconciliation for displaced people to return, says UNHCR

15 April 2011

GENEVA, April 15 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency has expressed alarm at the living conditions of internally displaced people (IDPs) in western Côte d'Ivoire and called for reconciliation to allow them and Ivorian refugees in the region to return home.

LIBYA: Hundreds of Libyan Berbers flee Western Mountains and head to Tunisia

12 April 2011

GENEVA, April 12 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency reported Tuesday that more than 500 Libyans, mostly ethnic Berbers, have fled their homes in Libya's Western Mountains and sought shelter in the Dehiba area of south-east Tunisia over the past week.

COLOMBIA:More than 800 Afro-Colombians flee to Colombia's main Pacific port

17 March 2011

BOGOTÁ, Colombia, March 17 (UNHCR) – More than 800 Afro-Colombians have fled their homes along western Colombia's Anchicayá River and sought shelter in the Pacific Ocean port of Buenaventura since the beginning of the month.

SOMALIA: Fighting in Somalia displaces some 33,000 people over past six weeks

8 April 2011

GENEVA, April 8 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency said Friday that fighting in south and central Somalia between government forces and the Al-Shabaab militia has displaced about 33,000 people in the past six weeks.

LIBYA: Some 2,000 people flee from Tripoli by boat to Italy and Malta

29 March 2011

GENEVA, March 29 (UNHCR) – For the first time since conflict erupted in Libya in mid-February, hundreds of people have been fleeing by boat from Tripoli in recent days across the Mediterranean Sea to Italy and Malta.

COTE D'IVOIRE: Fears mount that Côte d'Ivoire conflict could spill into Liberia

24 March 2011

MONROVIA, Liberia, March 24 (UNHCR) – High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres and other senior UN officials warned this week in Monrovia that escalating fighting and massive population displacement in neighbouring Côte d'Ivoire threatens Liberia's own fragile eight-year peace.

LIBYA: Fighting in eastern Libya leaves thousands internally displaced

22 March 2011

SALLUM, Egypt, March 22 (UNHCR) – Fighting in eastern Libya between pro-government and opposition forces has left thousands of Libyans internally displaced in recent days.

LIBYA: UNHCR prepares for possible massive influx to Egypt from Libya

18 March 2011

GENEVA, March 18 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency said on Friday it was ready to work with the Egyptian government to prepare for a massive influx of people fleeing the violence in Libya.

COTE D'IVOIRE: UNHCR shocked at mounting violence in Côte d'Ivoire

18 March 2011

ABIDJAN, Côte d'Ivoire, March 18 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency said on Friday it was shocked at the escalating violence in Côte d'Ivoire, which has led to continuing population displacement. Fighting this week in the country's commercial centre, Abidjan, has been at its fiercest level since the political crisis began after the presidential election in November.

DRC: Congolese victims of sexual violence call for help from the international community

16 March 2011

MUGUNGA III CAMP, Democratic Republic of the Congo, March 16 (UNHCR) – Marie* was first raped three years ago during a raid on her village that left her husband and 10 children dead – she was about 70 years old at the time.

TUNISIA: Giving up your child to save her - a tale from Tunisia

16 March 2011

CHOUCHA CAMP, Tunisia, March 16 (UNHCR) – With smooth features and a calm way about him, Abdullah Omar, 25, comes across as someone accustomed to hard choices. But the decision to send his one-year-old daughter back to war-ravaged Somalia, because he could not afford to support her, was one of the hardest he and his wife Khadija have ever faced.

LIBYA: UNHCR fears civilians prevented from fleeing Libya amid fighting

15 March 2011

GENEVA, March 15 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency has raised renewed concerns about people possibly being prevented from leaving Libya as fighting intensifies in recent days.

COTE D'IVOIRE: Aid reaches displaced Ivorians despite Abidjan violence

15 March 2011

GENEVA, March 15 (UNHCR) – More than 10,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in the Côte d'Ivoire city of Abidjan have received aid since UNHCR and partners started distribution last weekend amid serious insecurity.

COTE D'IVOIRE: UNHCR urges international community to remember Côte d'Ivoire

11 March 2011

GENEVA, March 11 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency on Friday urged the international community to step up support for the emergency response to the crisis in Côte d'Ivoire, where almost half-a-million people have been displaced by conflict since November.

LIBYA: UNHCR says evacuation flights not keeping pace with arrivals from Libya

11 March 2011

GENEVA, March 11 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency said on Friday that evacuation flights for migrant workers and other foreigners fleeing Libya were not keeping pace with the number of people crossing to Tunisia and Egypt.

LIBYA: UNHCR urges support for Tunisia and Egypt as thousands flee Libya

25 February 2011

GENEVA, February 25 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency on Friday called on the international community to provide substantial humanitarian support for Tunisia and Egypt as the two North African countries try to cope with an influx of thousands of people fleeing violence in Libya.

COTE D'VOIRE: At least 20,000 flee fresh violence in Côte d'Ivoire capital, Abidjan

25 February 2011

ABIDJAN, Côte d'Ivoire, February 25 (UNHCR) – At least 20,000 people fled a conflict-torn district of the Côte d'Ivoire capital of Abidjan on Friday and sought shelter in other parts of the tense city.

SOMALIA: More than 50 Somali refugees drown when boat capsizes in Gulf of Aden

24 February 2011

GENEVA, February 24 (UNHCR) – UNHCR on Thursday said it was "horrified," following reports that more than 50 Somali refugees are believed to have drowned at the weekend when their boat capsized while crossing the Gulf of Aden to Yemen.

LIBYA: UNHCR says open borders imperative for people fleeing violence in Libya

23 February 2011

GENEVA, February 23 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency on Wednesday said it welcomed the positive indications it has received over the past two days from Tunisia and Egypt that they will maintain open borders for people fleeing the continuing violence in Libya.

LIBYA: UNHCR fears for the safety of refugees caught in Libya's violence

22 February 2011

GENEVA, February 22 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency said in Geneva on Tuesday it has become "increasingly concerned" about the dangers for civilians inadvertently caught up in the mounting violence in Libya, especially asylum-seekers and refugees.

COTE D'IVOIRE: UNHCR starts work on new camp for internally displaced in Côte d'Ivoire

16 February 2011

DUÉKOUÉ, Côte d'Ivoire, February 16 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency is clearing ground for a new camp to shelter displaced people in western Côte d'Ivoire, where UNHCR has registered more than 38,000 people uprooted by political tension in the country.

TUNISIA: UNHCR helps Italy cope with high seas influx of thousands of Tunisians

15 February 2011

GENEVA, February 15 (UNHCR) – Staff from the UN refugee agency are working with the Italian government and other partners to manage a dramatic influx of several thousand Tunisians who have crossed to Italy's Lampedusa Island and the mainland by boat over the past month.

COTE D'IVOIRE: Another aid airlift arrives in Liberia as flow of Ivorian refugees continues

14 February 2011

MONROVIA, Liberia, February 14 (UNHCR) – As a UNHCR-chartered aircraft carrying 100 tonnes of emergency shelter aid landed in the Liberian capital of Monrovia on Monday morning, the number of refugees to arrive in the country from Côte d'Ivoire in recent weeks passed the 36,300 mark.

SUDAN: UNHCR says help needed for Sudan displaced following referendum result

11 February 2011

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 11 February 2011, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. "In Sudan, UNHCR is gearing up activities following the referendum results announced this week. On Wednesday we met with donors in Geneva to request US$53.4 million to support southerners moving back to the South from Khartoum and other parts of northern Sudan."

EGYPT: UNHCR provides help and medical support to refugees in Egypt

11 February 2011

GENEVA, February 11 (UNHCR) – Amid the continuing political turmoil in Egypt, UNHCR has been working through key partners to provide financial support and medical help to refugees in Cairo while UNHCR staff have been manning telephone hotlines from their homes.

COTE D'IVOIRE: UNHCR calls for urgent resolution of Côte d'Ivoire crisis as tension rises

10 February 2011

GENEVA, February 10 (UNHCR) – UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres on Thursday called for an urgent end to the political stalemate which is paralyzing the West African nation of Côte d'Ivoire and provoking violence.

COTE D'IVOIRE: UNHCR boosts presence in western Cote d'Ivoire to help the displaced

18 January 2011

ABIDJAN, Côte d'Ivoire, January 18 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency has been strengthening its presence in western parts of Côte d'Ivoire to cope with the needs of forcibly displaced people there following recent clashes.

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: UNHCR to continue helping Balkans flood victims over the winter

7 January 2011

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina, January 7 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency has warned that victims of the worst floods to hit Bosnia and Herzegovina and neighbouring Montenegro in decades will continue to need help during the winter months.

SUDAN: Number of Sudanese heading south ahead of referendum tops 120,000

7 January 2011

JUBA, Sudan, January 7 (UNHCR) – The number of people who have left northern Sudan and headed for their ancestral homes in South Sudan ahead of Sunday's key referendum on independence has passed the 120,000 mark.

COTE D'IVOIRE: As number of Ivorian refugees in Liberia tops 22,000, UNHCR speeds up aid delivery

5 January 2011

SACLEPEA, Liberia, January 5 (UNHCR) – With the number of registered Ivorian refugees in Liberia topping 22,000 this week, UNHCR is about to step up the delivery of food and other aid to the new arrivals.

COTE D'IVOIRE: UNHCR organizes second aid airlift for Ivorian refugees in Liberia

31 January 2011

MONROVIA, Liberia, January 31 (UNHCR) – A UNHCR-chartered cargo plane landed in the Liberia capital of Monrovia at the weekend carrying 83 tonnes of aid for tens of thousands of refugees from Côte d'Ivoire.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE NEWS STORIES

LIBYA: UNHCR urges evacuation of people trying to leave Libya

28 February 2011

GENEVA, February 28 (UNHCR) – As UNHCR emergency teams worked with the Tunisian and Egyptian authorities on Monday to help more than 110,000 people who have fled Libya, High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres expressed concern for refugees and other foreigners who might be trapped in the beleaguered North African nation.

SOMALIA: UNHCR transfers Somalis to new camp as fresh fighting erupts in Mogadishu

29 July 2011

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 29 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency reiterated on Friday that a new camp in north-east Kenya was open and receiving thousands of Somali refugees as renewed fighting in Mogadishu raised fresh concerns about the safety of civilians in the beleaguered city.

KYRGYZSTAN: UNHCR sends 250 tents for quake-displaced in Kyrgyzstan

29 July 2011

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, July 29 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency has provided 250 family tents to house an estimated 2,000 people left homeless in Kyrgyzstan by last week's earthquake on the border with Uzbekistan.

BANGLADESH: UNHCR helps flood victims in Bangladesh

29 July 2011

COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh, July 29 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency has distributed aid to hundreds of villagers displaced by floods in the Cox's Bazar region of Bangladesh earlier this month.

COTE D'IVOIRE: UNHCR urges humanitarian access for people trapped by fighting in Côte d'Ivoire's Abidjan

1 March 2011

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Melissa Fleming – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 1 March 2011, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. UNHCR remains alarmed by the situation for civilians trapped in the Abobo district of Côte d'Ivoire's Abidjan, where fighting has been raging now for several days.

LIBYA: UNHCR steps up relief efforts as huge numbers flee Libya to Egypt and Tunisia

1 March 2011

RAS ADJIR, Tunisia, March 1 (UNHCR) – UNHCR emergency staff said here Tuesday that the situation at the Libya-Tunisia border is at crisis point, with 14,000 people crossing the day before from Libya. It was the highest number of crossings in a single day since anti-government protests turned violent in mid-February. A further 10,000-15,000 are expected to cross on Tuesday.

SOMALIA: 50,000 civilians flee Somalia in first quarter, double from a year earlier

29 May 2011

GENEVA, April 29 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency said Friday that an increasing number of Somali civilians were fleeing their country amid the deteriorating security situation, with 50,000 arriving in neighbouring countries in the first quarter of this year compared to 23,000 in the same period in 2010.

LIBYA: Exodus of Berbers to southern Tunisia interrupted by border clashes

29 April 2011

RAS ADJIR, Tunisia, April 29 (UNHCR) – Fighting for control of a crossing point on the Tunisia-Libya border appears to have interrupted the exodus of civilians fleeing from Libya's Western Mountains.

SOMALIA: UNHCR chief visits Mogadishu, urges massive humanitarian assistance

1 September 2011

MOGADISHU, Somalia, September 1 (UNHCR) – UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres urged the international community to rapidly increase aid to displaced Somalis during a landmark visit to the capital, Mogadishu.

PAKISTAN: Six months on, flood-displaced Pakistanis return home to reconstruct

26 January 2011

KATBAR MOHALLA, Pakistan, January 26 (UNHCR) – Six months after devastating floods first hit Pakistan in July 2010, some 166,000 people are still displaced and living in more than 240 camps and spontaneous settlements.

SOMALIA: Fighting hampers aid effort inside Somalia amid fears of spreading famine

2 August 2011

NAIROBI, Kenya, August 2 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency's plans to deliver assistance to up to 180,000 people in Mogadishu and south-central Somalia are being threatened by the latest fighting in the Somali capital.

SOMALIA: Drought and displacement in Somalia: Fleeing from dust and starvation

2 August 2011

DAGAHALEY REFUGEE CAMP, Kenya, August 2 (UNHCR) – Abdulahi Haji Hassan gazes at the exhausted and confused faces of his family and contemplates the toll that drought and famine has taken on their lives. His two-year-old son, Madey, leans listlessly against his mother's breast.

LONDON: Telecoms operator Lebara supports education for displaced children

2 August 2011

LONDON, United Kingdom, August 2 (UNHCR) – A leading European telecoms operator, Lebara, has this week launched a fund-raising drive to support UNHCR-run programmes to help more than 100,000 displaced children go to school in six countries around the world.

ZAMBIA: Zambia's oldest refugee celebrates 100th birthday

2 August 2011

MAYUKWAYUKWA, Zambia, Aug 2 (UNHCR) – As fellow Angolan refugees sang, danced and ululated, Erculano Salugardo celebrated his 100th birthday with gifts, toasts and goodwill messages in one of Africa's oldest refugee settlements.

LIBYA:Number of civilians to flee Libya's Western Mountains nears 40,000

3 May 2011

DEHIBA, Tunisia, May 3 (UNHCR) – Thousands of ethnic Berbers from Libya have fled into Tunisia after a brief hiatus in their exodus last week because of fighting between Libyan government troops and opposition forces for control of a border crossing point.

BELGIUM: Growing numbers of unaccompanied minors seek asylum in Belgium

2 May 2011

STEENOKKERZEEL, Belgium, May 2 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency and the Belgian government are increasingly alarmed at the rising number of unaccompanied children seeking asylum in the Western European country and at how young many of them are.

COTE D'IVOIRE: Humanitarian situation in Côte d'Ivoire remains alarming

3 May 2011

ABIDJAN, Côte d'Ivoire, May 3 (UNHCR) – Field teams from the UN refugee agency say the humanitarian situation in Côte d'Ivoire remains alarming for tens of thousands of civilians despite improved security across the country.

ETHIOPIA: Unaccompanied Somali teens at risk in bid to reach safety in Ethiopia

30 October 2011

DOLLO ADO, Ethiopia, September 30 (UNHCR) – When Hassen Ibrahim arrived recently in Ethiopia, the teenager had not seen his parents for more than two years. "As the eldest son, I stayed behind to take care of my grandmother, who was too sick to travel," explained the 15-year-old, shortly after crossing into eastern Ethiopia after fleeing drought-hit Somalia.

COTE D'IVOIRE: Escalating violence fuels dramatic rise in displacement in Côte d'Ivoire

25 March 2011

ABIDJAN, Côte d'Ivoire, March 25 (UNHCR) – The escalating insecurity in Côte d'Ivoire's commercial hub of Abidjan has led to a sharp rise in forced displacement in the port city. Latest estimates put the number of displaced in Abidjan at between 700,000 and 1 million people.

COTE D'IVOIRE: Togo and Ghana receiving more Ivorian refugees as crisis spreads

29 March 2011

GENEVA, March 29 (UNHCR) – The Ivorian refugee crisis is spreading further across West Africa, with Ghana and Togo receiving a growing number of new arrivals. While the southern city of Abidjan has been relatively calm in recent days, fresh clashes were reported Monday in Côte d'Ivoire's west, centre-west and east.

COTE D'IVOIRE: Mass exodus out of Abidjan accelerates amid heightened insecurity

31 March 2011

ABIDJAN, Côte d'Ivoire, March 31 (UNHCR) – The mass exodus of civilians leaving the city of Abidjan in southern Côte d'Ivoire was continuing mid-week, with many saying they feared an imminent attack on the commercial capital.

LIBYA: UNHCR chief applauds Egypt, calls for humanitarian access to Libya

1 April 2011

CAIRO, Egypt, April 1 (UNHCR) ¬- UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres has thanked Egypt for helping tens of thousands of people fleeing Libya and called on the international community to recognize the country's generosity with solidarity and support. He also expressed concern about the situation inside Libya and called for humanitarian access to those in need.

JAPAN: UNHCR shines a beacon of hope on a devastated corner of Japan

1 April 2011

TOKYO, Japan, April 1 (UNHCR) – When Shinji Kubo joined UNHCR 18 years ago, he dreamed of helping refugees around the world. "I never thought I would be back in my hometown, helping my neighbours," said the senior external relations officer for the UN refugee agency's Tokyo office.

KENYA: UNHCR chief joins visit to Dadaab, expresses concern for Somali refugees

4 April 2011

DADAAB, Kenya, April 4 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency and two sister organizations expressed deep concern at the weekend about the living conditions of more than 314,000 Somalis at a sprawling refugee complex in north-east Kenya.

GENEVA: With emergency operations across Africa, UNHCR faces great pressure

5 April 2011

GENEVA, April 5 (UNHCR) – With three major emergency operations across Africa, UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres said Tuesday his agency had never been under such pressure since he took the helm in 2005.

LIBYA: Angelina Jolie visits Tunisia-Libya border, urges support for Libya's displaced

5 April 2011

RAS ADJIR, Tunisia, April 5 (UNHCR) – UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie on Tuesday travelled to the Tunisian-Libyan border to urge greater international support for people fleeing fighting in Libya.

KENYA: Back to school in the world's largest refugee camp

5 September 2011

DADAAB, Kenya, September 5 (UNHCR) – The new academic year got under way on Monday in the world's largest refugee camp complex, with some 43,000 Somali children turning up for classes at Dadaab in north-east Kenya.

PAKISTAN: Floodwaters recede, urgent humanitarian needs remain

5 October 2011

SINDH PROVINCE, Pakistan, October 5 (UNHCR) – As UNHCR continues to distribute tents and other emergency relief supplies to thousands of flood victims in southern Pakistan, many of the displaced are still living in precarious conditions, untouched by aid efforts.

SOMALIA: Angelina Jolie appeals to governments to step up life-saving efforts in the Horn of Africa

4 October 2011

UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie on Tuesday urged the international community to scale up its efforts to deal with the crisis in the Horn of Africa, saying the lives of hundreds of thousands of refugees depended on it.

SOMALIA: UNHCR concerned about fresh violence

4 October 2011

GENEVA, October 4 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency said on Tuesday it is "very concerned" by the latest escalation of violence in southern Somalia. The renewed clashes between opposing armed groups are further exacerbating the already severe humanitarian situation.

PAKISTAN: Fresh military manoeuvres in northern Pakistan displace 25,000 people

4 February 2011

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, February 4 (UNHCR) – Military operations against insurgents in north-west Pakistan's Mohmand agency have displaced some 25,000 people over the past week. The UN refugee agency believes that this figure could reach 90,000 by the end of the month if the fighting intensifies.

HAITI: In assisting Haiti quake survivors, start at the beginning: A birth certificate

1 February 2011

PETIT GOAVE, Haiti, February 1 (UNHCR) – This was the day that Jacqueline and her neighbours in a ramshackle settlement for victims of last year's devastating earthquake were going to be born again.

TUNISIA: Thousands of people flown home from Tunisia as evacuation begins

3 March 2011

GENEVA, March 3 (UNHCR) – An operation to evacuate tens of thousands of people from the Tunisian border and fly them home was under way on Wednesday. Under a programme led by UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 50 flights were planned on Thursday to take migrant workers, mostly Egyptians, back home. UNHCR flew home 177 people to Egypt on a first flight Wednesday evening.

COTE D'IVOIRE: Crisis deepens in Cote d'Ivoire, with 200,000 displaced within Abidjan

4 March 2011

ABIDJAN, Côte d'Ivoire, March 4 (UNHCR) – Recent fighting between rival forces in Côte d'Ivoire's commercial capital, Abidjan, has displaced more than 200,000 people, the UN refugee agency said on Friday, while warning that getting access to the needy was becoming increasingly difficult.

LIBYA: Sudden drop in people fleeing Libya into Tunisia sparks new concerns

4 March 2011

GENEVA, March 4 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency on Friday reported a sharp drop in the numbers of people crossing the border at Ras Adjir from Libya into Tunisia, and said it was increasingly worried at reports of people being impeded from fleeing.

COLOMBIA: UNHCR works to find durable solutions for endangered Colombian tribe

6 April 2011

SAN JOSE DEL GUAVIARE, Colombia, April 6 (UNHCR) – Most people forced to flee their homes believe that one day they will be able to return. But this no longer seems an option for most of Colombia's Jiw people and they have started looking at alternative solutions with the support of UNHCR and others.

GENEVA: Angelina Jolie and UNHCR chief Guterres shocked at Mediterranean high seas tragedy

6 April 2011

GENEVA, April 6 (UNHCR) – UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie expressed "deep shock" on Wednesday at the reported drownings of 213 people in rough waters some 60 kilometres off the southern coast of Italy.

DRC: Continuing insecurity threatens civilians in North Kivu

7 February 2011

KALINGA, Democratic Republic of the Congo, February 7 (UNHCR) – Simmering insecurity continues to force Congolese civilians in North Kivu to flee their homes and seek security in places like Kalinga, one of many camps for the internally displaced in the volatile region.

BANGKOK: Nearly 100 Pakistani refugees freed from detention in Bangkok

6 June 2011

BANGKOK, Thailand, June 6 (UNHCR) – Even though he's 35, Monday felt like the first day of his life for Pakistani refugee Tahir Mehmood. He was released after six months in an immigration detention centre in the Thai capital along with 93 other refugees, locked up merely for being refugees.

PAKISTAN: Three years after fleeing conflict, thousands in Pakistan return home

7 June 2011

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, June 7 (UNHCR) – More than 38,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) have headed home as the latest phase of a return operation in north-western Pakistan was completed over the weekend.

LIBYA: UN teams find displaced people, growing needs in Libya's conflict zones

7 June 2011

MISRATA/ZLITAN, Libya, June 7 (UNHCR) – An estimated 74,000 people are displaced in conflict zones south and east of Libyan capital Tripoli as months of fighting and sanctions threaten to deplete basic supplies and services.

SOMALIA: UNHCR concerned about malnutrition levels among new Somali refugees

5 July 2011

GENEVA, July 5 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency is concerned about the high incidence of malnutrition among Somali refugees flowing into Ethiopia and Kenya amid a devastating drought in their conflict-racked country.

COTE D'IVOIRE: UNHCR says lives at risk in Côte d'Ivoire, calls for opposing groups to support humanitarian efforts

8 March 2011

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 8 March 2011, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. UNHCR is today appealing to warring groups in Côte d'Ivoire to commit themselves to supporting urgently-needed humanitarian efforts and avoid placing civilian lives at risk.

LIBYA: UNHCR concerned at situation of sub-Saharan Africans in Libya, highlights shortage of long-haul flights

8 March 2011

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 8 March 2011, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Editors: Please note that new information on arrivals in Algeria has been added to the note since its release at today's UN press briefing in Geneva. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres and IOM Director General William Lacy Swing are in Tunisia today.

ETHIOPIA: UNHCR helps relocate Somali refugees to new camp in eastern Ethiopia

5 August 2011

DOLLO ADO, Ethiopia, August 5 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency, in partnership with the Ethiopian government and the International Organization for Migration, on Friday began the relocation of nearly 15,000 Somali refugees who have been living in a crowded transit centre in the eastern region of Dollo Ado.

SOMALIA: UNHCR launches landmark aid airlift to Mogadishu

8 August 2011

GENEVA, August 8 (UNHCR) – A UNHCR-chartered aircraft carrying emergency aid for thousands of displaced people landed on Monday afternoon in the Somali capital of Mogadishu. It was the first UNHCR aid airlift to the beleaguered city in five years.

TUNISIA: UNHCR and IOM seek continued momentum in international humanitarian efforts as fighting in Libya escalates

9 March 2011

TUNIS, Tunisia, March 9 (UNHCR) – The heads of the UN refugee agency and the International Organization for Migration wrapped up a two-day visit to Tunisia on Wednesday with a call for "continued international momentum" as people still flee Libya by the thousands.

NEW YORK TIMES: Look Who's Coming to Europe

9 May 2011

I recall vividly the intoxicating feeling of freedom and promise brought about by the “Carnation Revolution” in my native Portugal in 1974. I was 25 years old. Five decades of dictatorship had led us into economic stultification and costly, indefensible colonial wars. Suddenly there was democracy, or at least a plausible possibility of it, together with the stabilizing and enriching prospect of greater integration into Europe.

ETHIOPIA: Some 2,000 Sudanese refugees flee bombing raids in Blue Nile state

28 October 2011

ASSOSA, Ethiopia, October 28 (UNHCR) – Air attacks this week in Sudan's Blue Nile state have driven almost 2,000 Sudanese civilians to cross the border and seek shelter in the Kurmuk area of western Ethiopia.

WASHINGTON: UNHCR chief calls for increased support to refugee-hosting countries

4 May 2011

WASHINGTON, DC, United States, May 4 (UNHCR) – UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres has called on the international community for stronger global solidarity to help tackle current humanitarian crises and upheaval.

PAKISTAN: Flood-affected Indus River boat people seek a more stable way of life

5 May 2011

DERA GHAZI KHAN, Pakistan, May 5 (UNHCR) – Dilbar and Sakina have spent most of their lives living in riverboats on the Indus, desperately in need of assistance but unable to access Pakistan government support programmes.

GENEVA: UNHCR seeks better rescue mechanisms after Mediterranean drownings

10 May 2011

GENEVA, May 10 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency on Tuesday lamented the latest drowning deaths of people fleeing Libya by boat and reiterated a call for European nations to urgently improve mechanisms for rescue at sea.

GENEVA: Boat carrying 600 sinks off Tripoli, five boats rescued by Italian coastguard

10 May 2011

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Melissa Fleming – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 10 May 2011, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

ETHIOPIA: UNHCR appeals for $136.3 million as Horn of Africa crisis grows

8 July 2011

DOLLO ADO, Ethiopia, July 8 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency has appealed for $136.3 million to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe amid a growing exodus of Somalis fleeing conflict and drought in their homeland.

KENYA: Helping the most vulnerable in Dadaab

10 August 2011

DADAAB, Kenya, August 10 (UNHCR) – Her right leg is twisted outward at a 45-degree angle just below the kneecap. And when Bishara Hassan Hussein steps forward with her baby wrapped against her body, it seems as though she has a branch sticking out from her body. The leg throbs with a constant pain, especially when she walks fast or for long distances.

THAILAND: Thailand's epic floods no barrier to service

9 November 2011

BANGKOK, Thailand, November 9 (UNHCR) – Thailand's worst floods in more than 50 years have killed more than 500 people and affected nearly 3 million, but the UN refugee agency continues to deliver uninterrupted services to nearly 150,000 refugees and asylum-seekers here.

ETHIOPIA: In Ethiopia, UNHCR moves more Somalis into new camp amid measles vaccination

9 August 2011

DOLLO ADO, Ethiopia, August 9 (UNHCR) – Some 4,000 Somali refugees have been moved to a new camp in Ethiopia in an ongoing operation to decongest areas hosting recent arrivals from famine-hit Somalia.

SOMALIA: UN Official Urges Massive Response for World's 'Worst Humanitarian Disaster'

11 July 2011

SOMALIA: Having witnessed the dire humanitarian situation in Somalia first-hand, the head of the United Nations refugee agency has appealed for greater resources to provide assistance to people in the drought-stricken Horn of Africa country.

DARFUR: Civilians still in the firing line in Darfur

1 June 2010

Sudanese Government-sponsored attacks against civilians continue in Darfur, with thousands of people freshly displaced from their villages and sexual violence against women also widespread, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) told the Security Council today as he called for tougher action to improve the situation in the war-wracked region.

DR CONGO: UN mission chief concerned over violence in North Kivu

22 September 2010

The head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today voiced deep concern over continuing violence in the eastern province of North Kivu, where the Government is investigating a series of recent killings.

KENYA: UNHCR issues urgent appeal to Kenya to halt refoulement of Somali refugees

3 November 2010

UNHCR appeals to the Kenyan authorities to immediately halt its returns of Somalis from the Border Point 1 camp at Mandera in northeast Kenya.

SOMALIA: UNHCR appeals for US$60 million to help growing numbers of displaced Somalis

12 May 2010

The UN refugee agency, alarmed at the rapidly deteriorating security situation and growing displacement in Somalia, appealed on Wednesday for an extra US$60 million to fund operations helping forcibly displaced Somalis within the troubled state and in four neighbouring countries.

SOMALIA: UNHCR alarmed as fighting leaves 230 dead in Mogadishu

7 September 2010

UNHCR said Tuesday it was alarmed by the further deterioration in the security situation in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, where fighting between government forces and the Al-Shabaab militia has left more than 230 civilians dead and at least 400 wounded in the past fortnight.

SOMALIA: Neighbouring countries feeling the strain as Somalia's emergency grows

3 May 2010

A top-level UNHCR delegation visiting Somali refugee and IDP camps has seen for itself evidence of the growing humanitarian tragedy facing many thousands of uprooted people. The delegation, led by UNHCR's Deputy High Commissioner, T. Alexander Aleinikoff, examined increasingly overcrowded and under resourced situations in sprawling camps in Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya and inside Somalia during a two-week visit that has just ended.

DR CONGO: Fresh clashes in DR Congo’s North Kivu province displace thousands

13 July 2010

Clashes between the army in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and remnants of a Ugandan insurgency forced an estimated 20,000 people to flee their villages in the troubled North Kivu province of the vast African country, the United Nations reported today.

Subscribe toour eNewsletter

News Headlines

8 May 2012

7 May 2012

7 May 2012

4 May 2012

3 May 2012

30 April 2012

27 April 2012

26 April 2012

26 April 2012

24 April 2012

23 April 2012

20 April 2012

19 April 2012

17 April 2012

3 April 2012

2 April 2012

30 March 2012

30 March 2012

30 March 2012

28 March 2012

27 March 2012

27 March 2012

22 March 2012

20 March 2012

19 March 2012

13 March 2012

12 March 2012

13 March 2012

7 March 2012

6 March 2012

5 March 2012

29 February 2012

22 February 2012

16 February 2012

10 February 2012

9 February 2012

21 February 2012

17 February 2012

17 February 2012

14 March 2012

7 February 2012

3 February 2012

3 February 2012

7 February 2012

2 February 2012

26 January 2012

24 January 2012

20 January 2012

20 January 2012

12 January 2012

13 January 2012

9 January 2012

6 January 2012

30 December 2011

28 December 2011

13 December 2011

12 December 2011

11 November 2011

23 November 2011

18 November 2011

18 October 2011

16 November 2011

21 October 2011

20 October 2011

11 October 2011

11 October 2011

10 October 2011

7 October 2011

27 September 2011

20 September 2011

19 September 2011

16 September 2011

16 September 2011

16 September 2011