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  • South Sudan: Investigating Sexual Violence in Conflict Proves Challenging 06/17/2013

    In 2009/10, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolutions 1888 and 1960 establishing Women’s Protection Advisors (WPAs). These officials are tasked with building capacity to address conflict-related sexual violence UN within peacekeeping missions and reporting incidents for the monitoring and reporting arrangements as a basis for Security Council action against perpetrators. Today, six WPAs are assigned to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.
  • Myanmar: Protecting Minority Rights Is Non-Negotiable 05/29/2013

  • Aid Inside Syria: Too Little, But Not Too Late 04/24/2013

  • DR Congo: Outdated Approach, Misplaced Priorities 03/26/2013
    In the fall of 2012, hundreds of thousands of people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) fled their homes following fighting between the M23 rebel group and the Congolese army. In North Kivu province alone, 914,000 people took shelter in camps and with host families. Unfortunately, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) only coordinates support for those persons living in official camps – 112,000 people, or one ninth of the displaced population.
  • RD Congo: Une approche obsolète, des priorités égarées 03/26/2013
    Au cours de l’Automne 2012, des centaines de milliers de personnes ont fuit leur maison en République Démocratique du Congo (RDC) à la suite d’affrontements entre le groupe rebelle M23 et l’armée congolaise. La province du Nord Kivu a vu à elle seule 914 000 personnes se réfugier dans des camps et auprès de familles d’accueil. Malheureusement, l’agence des Nations Unies pour les Réfugiés (HCR) coordonne seulement l’assistance destinée aux résidents des camps, 112 000 personnes, soit un neuvième de la population déplacée.
  • Kenya: Government Directive Leads to Severe Abuses and Forced Returns 02/26/2013

    In December 2012, the Government of Kenya announced a directive that would force all refugees living in cities to relocate to camps, and shut down all registration and service provision to refugees and asylum-seekers in cities. This effectively empowered Kenyan security services to unleash a wave of abuse against refugees. That Kenya has not yet gone ahead with a forced relocation plan has led some to believe that the worst has been averted. Yet the directive caused severe harm even without being implemented. Many refugees felt forced to leave Nairobi following severe harassment.
  • Au Mali: loin des feux de l’actualité, les populations déportées ont un besoin urgent d’aide 01/14/2013

  • Mali: Outside the Spotlight, Displaced People in Urgent Need of Assistance 12/13/2012

    See the accompanying video report.
  • Syrian Refugees: Reliance on Camps Creates Few Good Options 12/05/2012

    Turkey | Jordan | Iraq
    (Click to jump to country-specific findings.)
  • Gatekeepers and Evictions: Somalia’s Displaced Population at Risk 11/01/2012

    There are currently 1.36 million Somalis displaced within their own country. These internally displaced persons (IDPs) face major protection challenges – including abuse and aid diversion by camp gatekeepers, as well as the threat of forced evictions. These vulnerabilities are not new to Somalia’s displaced population, but the context is changing. Refugees International recently conducted assessments of IDP settlements in Mogadishu and Hargeisa, Somaliland.
  • DR Congo: Local Communities on the Front Line 04/23/2012

  • Somali Refugees: Ongoing Crisis, New Realities 03/19/2012

    Introduction
  • Syrian Refugees in Lebanon: Preparing for the Worst 03/14/2012

    Syrians are taking refuge along the eastern border of Lebanon by the thousands. More than 2,000 people fled from Syria into Lebanon in the first week of March alone, bringing the total estimate of displaced Syrians in that country to at least 13,000. Humanitarian operations in much of the north, led by Lebanon’s HRC and the UNHCR, are inadequate. Much more assistance must be provided to those arriving in the east, south of Beirut, and in Tripoli. Lebanon has a long history of hosting Iraqi refugees and the same goodwill should be extended to Syrians.
  • DR Congo: Too Soon To Walk Away 07/28/2011

    International interest in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is waning at a time when hundreds of thousands of Congolese continue to be displaced by ongoing violence. This shift risks squandering the substantial investments made towards peace and stability in the DRC and leaves internally displaced people vulnerable to further violence and suffering. Continued political and financial support by the U.S. and other donor governments is still essential to address both the root causes of the problem and emergency needs – all the more so in the context of November’s elections.

  • RD Congo: Trop tôt pour s’en aller 07/28/2011

    L’intérêt de la communauté internationale à l’égard la République démocratique du Congo (RDC) diminue. Pourtant, des centaines de milliers de Congolais sont toujours déplacés en raison de la violence actuelle. Ce changement d’attitude risque de gâcher les efforts considérables investis afin d’amener paix et stabilité en RDC, et cela expose les déplacés internes à davantage de violence et souffrances.
  • DR Congo: Support Community-Based Tools for MONUSCO 05/02/2011
    In recent years the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) has faced tremendous pressure to improve civilian protection in the volatile and violent eastern provinces of the country.  The mission has seen its share of high-profile protection failures – including the mass rape of over 200 women, men and children in August of 2010.  But MONUSCO is at the forefront of innovative tactics to protect civilians.
  • Sudan: The 30-Day Countdown 12/10/2010
    As the January 9 referenda in south Sudan and Abyei approach, so does the possibility for violence and humanitarian crises. The United Nations has mapped out potential flashpoints for conflict and drawn up detailed contingency plans, but many critical challenges remain unresolved. With less than a month remaining until the referenda, agencies lack sufficient staffing, humanitarian access has become a growing issue, a coordinated response to gender-based violence has yet to be developed, and a systematic plan to protect minority communities and returnees has not been finalized.
  • DR Congo: Managing the Transition 09/28/2010
    Discussions about the future of peacekeeping in the DR Congo and the modalities of withdrawal are happening while the east of the country remains steeped in conflict. Joint efforts by the UN stabilization mission and the Congolese Government to map remaining challenges have been rushed and incoherent. Assessment methodology was designed without reference to key actors, both inside and outside the mission.
  • Sudan: No complacency on protecting civilians 04/08/2010

    Five years after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) southern Sudan remains highly volatile, with longstanding tribal tensions, competition for land, and new economic competition fueling south-south violence that has resulted in 450 deaths and the displacement of 40,000 people this year alone. Just nine months from the planned referendum for southern independence, the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) remains weak, and its army and police remain incapable of maintaining stability and protecting civilians.
  • RD Congo: Projecteurs sur la crise en Equateur 03/31/2010

    Un conflit violent dans la province de l’Equateur dans le nord-ouest de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC) a forcé presque 200.000 civils congolais à fuir leur foyer au cours des six derniers mois. Les agences humanitaires ont du mal à répondre aux besoins de ceux qui ont pris la fuite, dont nombreux ne veulent pas rentrer chez eux dans un avenir proche, et l’approvisionnement d’aide est désormais urgent dans les zones de déplacement.