As UN member states discuss the Global Compacts on Migration and Refugees, they must consider the needs of individuals impacted by natural disasters and climate change.
Six Months After Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico’s Civil Society Continues to Shore Up the Gaps
Six months after Hurricane Maria, the slow response to the needs of the Puerto Rican people continues to be woefully slow. The Puerto Rican and federal authorities’ failure to adequately respond has been nothing short of a travesty. Alice Thomas writes that if there is a silver lining to this disaster, it is the incredible dedication of Puerto Rico’s civil society groups in working toward the recovery of their communities and their most vulnerable neighbors.
Meeting the Urgent Needs of Hurricane Maria Survivors in Puerto Rico
The response to Hurricane Maria was largely uncoordinated and poorly implemented, prolonging the humanitarian emergency on the ground.
Two Months Since Hurricane Maria, Terrible Suffering Continues in Puerto Rico
In short, two months after Hurricane Maria pummeled this island, the U.S. response remains too slow and bureaucratic, and lacks transparency and the broad information-sharing that is essential to an effective disaster response.
U.S. Leads International Disaster Assistance Abroad, So Why are We Failing at Home?
For the first time in its 38 year history, Refugees International (RI) is conducting a mission to the United States. Over the next week, my colleagues and I will be in Puerto Rico where eight weeks after Hurricane Maria made a direct hit, urgent humanitarian needs remain unmet.
For Thousands Left Homeless by Hurricanes Irma and Harvey, Urgent Need to Prevent Long-Term Displacement
As the Caribbean, Florida, and Texas face the long road to recovery following Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, a window of opportunity exists to mitigate the human displacement created by these large-scale disasters and to build resilience to future events. These two priorities should inform how the United States is responding to these types of disasters. This blog outlines some important lessons that must inform the hurricane response in the future if we are going to keep pace with the increasing impacts of climate change impacts on population displacement:
Surviving Somalia’s Current Drought
Somalia is again in the throes of another drought that by many accounts is worse than the last. Thankfully, greater government control and a prompt humanitarian response by the government and aid agencies have saved lives, but the scale of displacement is enormous. More than 760,000 Somalis have been displaced across the country since November 2016, 160,000 of them to Mogadishu. Here they are struggling to access assistance and protection in a dangerous and volatile environment.
On World Refugee Day, More Action is needed on Climate-Related Displacement
War and conflict are no longer the primary drivers of displacement and humanitarian crises. More extreme weather and other climate change impacts are increasingly playing a role. In 2016 alone, 24 million people were forced from their homes by weather-related disasters, far more than were displaced by conflict. Meanwhile, more frequent and protracted droughts, especially in poor and unstable countries in Africa and the Middle East, are undermining food security, causing people to migrate in order to survive, and fueling pre-existing social and ethnic tensions.
Trump Administration’s Failure to Act to Address Climate Change will Lead to More Displacement, Migration, and Humanitarian Emergencies
Refugees International is dismayed and deeply alarmed by the Trump administration’s decision to pull out of international efforts to tackle one of the most significant threats to global stability and security the world has ever faced: climate change.
RI Urges Swift Response to Cyclone Mora Devastation, Rohingya Refugees Particularly Vulnerable
Refugees International s greatly concerned for those affected by Cyclone Mora and urges a swift response to assist vulnerable populations and those most impacted by the storm.