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In DRC, Lessons of the Past Are Ignored
March 12, 2012 Erin Weir Africa, DR Congo, Protection & Security

Senior Advocate Peter Orr and I are in North Kivu Province, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. This is my fifth visit to the area since I began working for Refugees International in 2007, and in that time there have been a lot of changes.

There have been shifting conflict dynamics and alliances amongst armed groups and the government, new aid efforts to respond better to humanitarian needs, and innovations in the way UN peacekeepers interact with communities to keep people safe.

Will Americas Summit Tackle Displacement?
March 08, 2012 Garrett Bradford Climate Displacement, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama, Venezuela, Americas, Humanitarian Response, Statelessness

A "complex security and humanitarian crisis.” That’s how Congressman Sam Farr (D-CA) described the situation for Latin America's refugees and displaced people at Tuesday’s panel discussion, Refugees, Displacement, and Hemispheric Stability in Latin America, on Capitol Hill.

In Memoriam: Congressman Donald Payne
March 06, 2012 Michel Gabaudan

Today Refugees International mourns the loss of Congressman Donald Payne, a true humanitarian. Famous for his courageous work on behalf of the world’s most vulnerable people, his dedicated service as chairman and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights was remarkable for its breadth and the undaunted manner in which he pursued it.

Eight in Ten
March 05, 2012 Sarnata Reynolds Lebanon, Syria, Humanitarian Response, Middle East, Women & Children

The first Syrian family we met in northern Lebanon included 18 people spanning three generations. The matriarch was probably no more than 60 years old, and the youngest member was a baby of 42 days.

We sat with the family for more than an hour, asking them about their experiences in Syria and as refugees, and we asked what they needed. The new mother almost immediately said that she needed baby formula. The other women nodded in agreement, adding that they also needed fresh fruit and vegetables, and meat.

Deadlocked Security Council Struggles With Syria
March 02, 2012 Michelle Brown Lebanon, Syria, Humanitarian Response, Middle East, Protection & Security

Yesterday, the UN Security Council issued a press statement about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria and the need for humanitarian access to desperate civilians. The statement read:

From Canada, to Libya, to a New Libya
March 01, 2012 Michael Boyce Libya, Middle East, Women & Children

Today we're proud to feature a special guest post by Alaa Murabit, founder of the Voice of Libyan Women.

Somalia: Forced Return Unacceptable, Voluntary Return Unrealistic
February 29, 2012 Mark Yarnell Africa, Kenya, Somalia, Humanitarian Response, Protection & Security

At last week's London Conference on Somalia, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki called for a “firm and durable” solution to the refugee crisis. This includes the return of Somali refugees from the camps in Kenya’s northeast back over the border into Somalia.

Syria: "Only God Knows How We Are Surviving"
February 28, 2012 Kristen Cordell Lebanon, Syria, Humanitarian Response, Middle East, Protection & Security

"Only God knows how we are surviving," said 16-year-old Ahmed, as he looked up at me from his creaky hospital bed.

We met Ahmed on the outskirts of the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, in a hospital set up to treat wounded Syrian refugees. He is one of the many hundreds of Syrians who fled to Tripoli to escape the ongoing violence across the border.

In Panama, a Critical Moment
February 27, 2012 Marc Hanson Colombia, Panama, Americas, Protection & Security

A quick and comprehensive resolution to Panama’s most acute refugee crisis is imminently achievable. Unfortunately, that’s been the case for over a decade.

More than ten years ago, targeted violence drove more than 800 rural Colombians from their homes, and over the border into Panama. Panama allowed these families to remain in the Darien jungle under a Temporary Humanitarian Protection protocol, but did not allow them to work or travel freely throughout the rest of the country.

Afghanistan: Time to Get Serious About IDPs and Protection
February 24, 2012 Matt Pennington Afghanistan, Asia, Protection & Security

It’s been quite a month for those of us following the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. On February 3, the New York Times exposed one of the terrible tragedies of this year’s abnormally harsh winter: the deaths of at least 24 children in Kabul’s IDP settlements. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan, Michael Keating, was quoted as saying, “I just don’t think the humanitarian story is sufficiently understood here.
U.S. Must Follow Up Colombian Aid With Effort
February 24, 2012 Marc Hanson Climate Displacement, Colombia, Congress, U.S. Administration, Americas, Humanitarian Response

This blog first appeared on The Hill Congress Blog. 

Humanitarian Aid and Security In Somalia: Separate, But Still Unequal?
February 23, 2012 Melanie Teff Africa, Ethiopia - Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, Humanitarian Response, Protection & Security

This post originally appeared at African Arguments, the blog of the Royal African Society.

Life in Lebanon for Syria's Newest Refugees
February 21, 2012 Sarnata Reynolds Lebanon, Syria, Humanitarian Response, Middle East, Protection & Security, Women & Children

This post originally appeared on The Hill's Congress Blog.

Attacks Bring New Risks for Kenya's Urban Somalis
February 17, 2012 Melanie Teff Africa, Kenya, Somalia, Humanitarian Response

Tens of thousands of Somali refugees live in Kenya’s cities, but they are often forgotten amid the region’s myriad refugee problems. So on our recent visit to Kenya, we asked how these people have been affected by the (presumed) Al Shabab attacks on Kenyan refugee camps further afield.

Insecurity in Dadaab: A Camp Forever Changed
February 16, 2012 Mark Yarnell Africa, Somalia, Humanitarian Response

My colleague, Melanie Teff, and I are just back from the main staff complex of the Dadaab refugee camp in northeastern Kenya. Our RI colleagues last visited the camp and met with refugees in October 2011, amid a major influx of Somalis seeking refuge from famine and conflict.

"I Have a Dream"
February 14, 2012 Sarnata Reynolds Kuwait, Middle East, Statelessness

Before they first took to the streets, the stateless bidoun community in Kuwait thought extensively about how best to claim their rights to identity, education, and health care (among other concerns). They had studied campaigns from other countries and other periods of history.

Inspired by the U.S. civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King, Jr., they decided to take a peaceful and non-confrontational approach.

Poisoned Climate: Still Submerged in Colombia
February 14, 2012 Alice Thomas Climate Displacement, Colombia, Americas

This blog post originally appeared at ThinkProgress Green as a guest post.

"I Don't Want My Young Daughter to Face the Same Situation"
February 13, 2012 Kristen Cordell Kuwait, Middle East, Statelessness, Women & Children
Things are bad for the bidoun of Kuwait. They cannot work, cannot protest, cannot marry, and cannot travel. Almost all of the rights they used to enjoy have been taken away. Yet things are even worse for bidoun women, for whom these restrictions carry heavy cultural stigmas and even heavier social consequences.
'¡Buenos Días!' from Colombia
February 10, 2012 Garrett Bradford Climate Displacement, Colombia, Americas

You're easily fooled upon arrival in Bogotá. You think, "This is it. This is Colombia." At over 9,000 feet above sea level and average temperatures of 68 degrees Fahrenheit, Colombia's capital enjoys an "eternal spring" year round. After a few days in the hospitable climate of Bogotá, I couldn't help but think: "I hope the rest of the country is like this."

The next day I found that such is not the case. For two years now, record-breaking rains have produced the worst flooding in 80 years throughout much of the country.

The Everyday Injustices of Bidoun Life
February 09, 2012 Sarnata Reynolds Kuwait, Middle East, Statelessness

I am listening to the call to morning prayer in Kuwait City. It is beautiful, and one example of the widespread expression of faith in Kuwait. Yet despite the kind and generous gestures of the people I've met here, the bidoun, a stateless population in Kuwait, are afforded no hospitality.