UN AGENCY CALLS ON ISRAEL TO LIFT BOOK BLOCKADE OF GAZA SCHOOLS

The main United Nations agency caring for Palestinian refugees today called on Israel to lift its blockade of Gaza to allow in educational materials for schools, stressing that these can serve as a major weapon in promoting tolerance and peace.

"There is a long history of <"http://www.un.org/unrwa/english.html">UNRWA experiencing obstacles with the Israeli authorities in getting educational materials such as paper and books into Gaza," spokesman Christopher Gunness said, referring to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

"This is particularly hard to understand as UNRWA's education programmes, particularly subjects such as human rights and the Universal Declaration [of Human Rights], are underpinned by universal values which are informed by toleration and the need to resolve conflict peacefully.

"It is in the interests of everyone who believes in peace that the blockade of Gaza should be lifted especially for educational materials," he added.

Mr. Gunness also noted that the agency has still been unable to get building materials into Gaza, which means that 60,000 structures, including schools, which were damaged or destroyed during the conflict earlier this year, remain in a state of disrepair.

Earlier this week, UNRWA reported that the two-year-long Israeli blockade of Gaza continued to cause severe deprivation to its population of some 1.5 million, with unprecedented unemployment rates soaring to around 40 per cent.

Israel imposed the blockade after Hamas, which does not recognize Israel's right to exist, seized control of Gaza from the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority.

PAKISTAN: UN STEPS UP STRUGGLE TO GET CHILDREN BACK TO SCHOOL AFTER MASS DISPLACEMENT

A shortfall of around $20 million in educational funding is hampering efforts to get Pakistani children back to school in the aftermath of the mass exodus in the north-west of the country during the recent conflict in the area, the United Nations humanitarian arm announced today.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA) reported that only 17 per cent of all activities covering the educational needs of children affected by the conflict in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) are currently funded.

Many children who have returned to the region have found that some 550 of their former schools have been damaged or destroyed, including 147 girls' schools.

With the recent start of the new school year, a group of UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), led by the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) – is working to help provide access to education for all children affected by the emergency.

OCHA has reported in recent weeks that around 1.6 million of the more than 2 million people who fled the military offensive against militants in NWFP have now returned to their homes, stressing that there is an urgent need to provide school supplies and school tents for the new academic year until pre-fabricated shelters arrive for more than 500 schools in Swat and Buner districts. UNICEF has already dispatched 100 school tents to the two districts, enabling a number of returning children to start the year.

The children's agency has also prioritized the repair and rehabilitation of 3,565 primary schools damaged from hosting internally displaced persons (IDPs) – estimated to benefit over half a million children – with nearly 1,000 schools already refurbished and the work on another 900 under way.

In addition, an 18-month 'Welcome to School' initiative, designed to get around 532,000 children into school and keep them there, is slated for Swat, Buner, Lower Dir and Malakand districts.

The scheme will create temporary learning spaces in tents, makeshift shelters, rented buildings or through "second shift" arrangements in nearby schools. Agencies working in education will also provide education supplies to all schools in conflict-affected districts and work to get all children in school, including those who have never attended schools, especially girls.

UN AGENCY SHELTERS HUNDREDS OF RETURNING REFUGEES IN NORTHERN AFGHAN WASTELANDS

The United Nations refugee agency has started providing shelter to hundreds of Afghans who have recently returned from Iran to their homeland, more than two decades after they fled during the Soviet Union's occupation of the country in the 1980s.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is scaling up efforts to expand a temporary tented camp in a barren and arid region of northern Afghanistan as the total number of returnees is expected to climb to more than 1,500 in the coming weeks.

The influx of repatriated Afghan refugees – mostly nomadic Kuchi people of Baloch ethnicity who fled the country during the period of Soviet occupation between 1979 and 1989 – are returning from a camp in south-east Iran to the Sozma Qala district to find their homes were destroyed by armed conflict or collapsed after years of neglect.

"Returning to this remote and desolate place, they are defying nature with their tireless determination to start anew," said Aurvasi Patel, head of the UNHCR office in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, adding that with "winter fast approaching, [the] reintegration of these families will be a major challenge."

Alessandra Morelli, UNHCR interim Deputy Representative in Afghanistan, also underscored the difficulties of setting up a transit camp and providing basic water, education and health services in such a desolate area.

"The settlement is a temporary solution to allow people to have a shelter while they are rebuilding their homes in nearby villages," stressed Ms. Morelli.
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Yemen – ICRC Bulletin No. 01 / 2009

Since mid-August, armed confrontations affecting the civilian population have intensified in the already volatile governorate of Sa'ada, in the north of the country, and spilled over into parts of Amran governorate. According to initial estimates, thousands of people have been displaced in the two governorates.

"Thousands of people have fled the fighting to seek refuge in Sa'ada city and surrounding areas. They probably could not take much with them, and many are now left stranded without even a roof to protect them from the rain," said the ICRC's head of delegation in Yemen, Jean-Nicolas Marti. "Their most important immediate needs are shelter, water, food and access to medical care."

ICRC and Yemen Red Crescent Society staff have so far registered more than 12,000 displaced people (IDPs) in Sa'ada governorate and more than 4,000 in Amran governorate while also meeting vital needs, for example by providing support for medical facilities.

Democracy, Human Rights, Refugees: Commemoration of World Humanitarian Day

Today, the United States is honored to join the international community in commemorating the first World Humanitarian Day. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2008 to increase public awareness about humanitarian activities around the world, World Humanitarian Day is also an occasion to honor aid workers who labor every day on behalf of some of the world’s most vulnerable people. This day marks the sixth anniversary of the Canal Hotel bombing in Baghdad in which 22 people were killed, including Sergio Vieiro de Mello, the Secretary General’s Special Representative in Iraq.

Sadly, situations of dire need exist in every region of the world. The success of our collective response to humanitarian crises rests on the selfless commitment and dedication of professional humanitarian aid workers. Increasingly however, aid workers themselves are targets of attack – in 2008 alone a record 260 humanitarian aid workers were killed, kidnapped or seriously injured in violent attacks. We call upon all governments and parties in conflict to give their highest attention to the safety and security of humanitarian personnel. We are inspired by these workers’ personal dedication to humanitarian principles, especially in the face of grave danger. We honor their service, and we congratulate their successes.

50,000TH MYANMAR REFUGEE LEAVES THAILAND FOR NEW LIFE IN US, UN REPORTS

An ethnic Karenni schoolteacher is the 50,000th refugee from Myanmar sheltering in Thailand who has left to begin a new life in the United States, marking a milestone for the world's largest resettlement operation, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee announced today.

Since 1996, Plu Reh had been living in the Ban Mai Nai Soi camp – where he had taught primary school – in northern Thailand since 1996. Along with his wife and 2-year-old daughter, he left Bangkok this morning on a 28-hour journey that will ultimately take him to Camden, New Jersey.

Before departing, he "spoke optimistically to our staff about the opportunities in the United States for a good education for his daughter and for further education for himself and his wife," UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler said.

Resettlement from the nine refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar border began in 2004, but picked up pace in early 2005 when the US offered homes to the uprooted.

"For refugees around the world, return to their home country is usually the preferred option," Mr. Spindler said.

But most of the Myanmar refugees, most of whom had been for over two decades in Thailand where they are not allowed to settle permanently, do not see any chance of returning to their home country.

"So for them, resettlement in a third country is the best option," the UNHCR spokesperson said, expressing gratitude to countries such as the US, Canada, Australia, Finland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden for offering refugees a chance to restart their lives.

Currently, 112,000 registered Myanmar refugees live in the nine camps, and the agency expects to resettle a further 6,000-7,000 this year.
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FIRST GROUP OF REFUGEES LEAVE CHAD FOR NEW LIVES IN US – UN

As part of a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees programme, the first group of refugees has left Chad to begin new lives in the United States.

The 11 refugees are the first of a total of 1,800 resettlement cases – mostly Sudanese refugees from the war-torn Darfur region living in camps in eastern Chad – the agency plans to identify this year.

The group – who are heading for Kentucky, Texas, Iowa and Utah – which departed for the US by air from the Chadian capital N'Djamena on 21 June comprise refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Sudan and the Central African Republic (CAR).

Currently, 250,000 refugees from Darfur are sheltering in 12 UNHCR-run camps in Chad's east. Additionally, 70,000 CAR refugees are living in five camps in southern Chad.

The US is the first country to promote resettlement for refugees in Chad, the agency said.

"Resettlement requires a very meticulous process and usually takes seven to nine months per individual case," said UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler.

The process includes interviews, medical screenings, counseling and cultural orientation sessions, and agency staff are trained to detect fraud to ensure they do not select refugees who are not eligible for resettlement.

"Resettlement is considered one of UNHCR's durable solutions for protracted refugee solutions, along with voluntary repatriation and local integration," Mr. Spindler said.

The next group of refugees, made up of mostly people who fled fighting in Darfur, is slated to leave for the US in July.
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THAILAND: UN WORKING TO ASSIST 2,000 RECENTLY-ARRIVED MYANMAR REFUGEES

THAILAND: UN WORKING TO ASSIST 2,000 RECENTLY-ARRIVED MYANMAR REFUGEES
New York, Jun 12 2009 11:00AM
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR) said today it is working with the Thai Government to help meet the needs of some 2,000 Karen villagers who fled Myanmar in early June.

UNHCR staff have now verified the number of recent arrivals after visiting five sites in northern Thailand where Karen villagers are taking shelter.

"Although we cannot absolutely say this is the total number who have crossed the Moei River to Thailand in this period, we have not seen evidence of significantly higher numbers," UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler <"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/media?page=home&id=4a3229012">told reporters in Geneva.

He said that by and large, the Karen villagers say they fled in fear of conscription by armed forces or of forced labour as porters for armed forces. "Those who mentioned military action mostly said they fled in anticipation of fighting as the Myanmar army and their allies, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, approached rebel Karen National Union bases and villages.

"Only a few said their villages had actually been shelled, but while our staff interviewed the recent arrivals on the Thai side of the border on Tuesday and Thursday, they heard shelling on the Myanmar side," he added.

According to UNHCR, Thai authorities have responded "quickly and sympathetically" to the needs of the new arrivals. The agency is working with the Government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to meet the needs of the Karen villagers, who are taking shelter mostly in temples, in a communal hall and in private Thai homes in four villages.

A large group at a fifth place called Mae Usu who were reported to be sheltering in a cave are actually in a large field that was once the site of a refugee camp many years ago, Mr. Spindler noted. "This group, estimated at between 700 and 900 people, is living in seasonal agricultural houses that farmers use when they are harvesting crops, but which are normally empty at this time of year."

UNHCR said that the new arrivals at this location have some possessions they brought with them, and also have received rice, blankets and other relief items from the Thai-Burma Border Consortium, a NGO that has been serving Karen refugees along the border since the 1980s.

"Although some of the Karen villagers, who are mostly farmers, managed to bring some possessions with them, others said they fled with only the clothes on their back," said Mr. Spindler.

Among the most urgently needed items are clothes, especially baby clothes, as well as soap, and bamboo pallets to keep from having to sleep in the mud amid heavy rains. UNHCR has already distributed 200 plastic sheets to help with emergency shelter.
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DARFUR REFUGEES IN CHAD TO RECEIVE IDENTITY CARDS UNDER UN-BACKED SCHEME

DARFUR REFUGEES IN CHAD TO RECEIVE IDENTITY CARDS UNDER UN-BACKED SCHEME
New York, Jun 2 2009 2:00PM
Some 110,000 Sudanese refugees over the age of 18 in eastern Chad will receive identity cards under a new programme launched with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

"The ID cards are the equivalent of a 'refugee passport' allowing free movement within the host country and providing access to some basic services in line with the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention," agency spokesperson Ron Redmond told reporters in Geneva.

The agency distributed the first 10 ID cards, which are printed by <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4a25473a4.html">UNHCR and issued by the Chadian Government, in a symbolic ceremony on Monday in Gaga refugee camp, near Abéché.

UNHCR noted that the joint initiative had been in the works since late 2006. Identity and age verification exercises in all 12 camps in eastern Chad hosting some 250,000 refugees from Sudan's war-torn Darfur region were initially scheduled to start in 2008.

However, ongoing insecurity in eastern Chad pushed back those exercises until this April. Some 37,000 refugees in Gaga and Farchana camps have been processed so far.

"We plan to distribute all 110,000 ID cards by the end of this year, provided that the verification process is not interrupted again," Mr. Redmond said. "Since the latest Chadian rebel incursion on 4 May, our regular daily access to refugee camps is still problematic due to security restrictions."

Meanwhile, UNCHR said that refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR) continue to arrive in small groups in the village of Daha, in south-eastern Chad's Salamat region, as well as in the vicinity of Danamadji in southern Chad.

Some 17,000 CAR refugees – who fled fearing fresh clashes between the Government and rebels – found shelter in six spontaneous sites which sprung up in Daha and Massambagne villages since mid-January, Mr. Redmond reported.

"In southern Chad, we now care for 73,000 refugees hosted in five refugee camps and six spontaneous sites," he said, adding that UNHCR teams in this part of Chad are providing protection and emergency assistance. It is also distributing shelter material and household items to all newly arrived families – mostly women and small children.

"Together with our partner agencies we secured refugee access to education and clean water and built latrines, and we are pre-positioning food-rations sufficient for six months. As of mid-June when the rainy season will start, the CAR refugees in south-eastern Chad will be basically cut off from assistance as it will be physically impossible to reach them," said Mr. Redmond.
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IRAQ NEEDS CONTINUED INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT – UN REFUGEE AGENCY

IRAQ NEEDS CONTINUED INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT – UN REFUGEE AGENCY
New York, Jun 2 2009 12:00PM
Although the humanitarian situation in Iraq has been out of the spotlight recently, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNCHR) today cautioned that the situation for the millions of uprooted Iraqis both inside and outside the country remains dire and urged the international community to maintain their support.

"While overall security conditions have improved, they are not yet sustainable enough to have encouraged massive returns of Iraqis," agency spokesperson Ron Redmond <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4a250c4d2.html">said, noting that more than 1.5 million Iraqis are still living in other countries, mostly in Syria and Jordan, with another 2 million internally displaced.

Although some have returned to their homes, many of these returns have neither been safe nor sustainable, he added. "It is UNHCR's opinion that Iraqis should not be forced back, which would be detrimental to the safety of those concerned and would negatively affect the fragile absorption capacity of the country."

The Government of Iraq is torn between many priorities in the political, electoral and national reconciliation areas, and faces many obstacles related to socio-economic issues and requirements for the return and reintegration of the uprooted, according to UNHCR.

Mr. Redmond said authorities must make strides in implementing the national policy on displacement and return; take action on land allocation and property restitution; and launch housing and rehabilitation programmes.

For its part, UNHCR, along with its partners, is still hindered by a shortage of funds and the need for heavy security which impedes its mobility and ability to deliver assistance, he said.

Nevertheless, the agency has expanded its presence to 14 of Iraq's 17 provinces, the spokesperson said, "but these efforts will remain piecemeal if not integrated into a national, Government-led framework aimed at addressing the myriad social and economic challenges that must be overcome."

UNHCR's $299 million appeal for its work in Iraq for 2009 is less than half funded, he said, warning that without an influx of resources, some programmes cannot be implemented.

Outside Iraq, asylum countries are feeling the burden and are increasingly concerned over what they believe could become a protracted refugee situation, Mr. Redmond noted.

"Iraq has experienced waves of mass displacement over the last 40 years that have resulted in deep social dislocation and complex humanitarian problems," he said. "What we are dealing with today is the accumulation of these problems. Bringing stability to such a complex situation is going to take time and requires the collective and continuous engagement of all."
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Pakistan fighting could swell camp population to 800,000 - ActionAid is there

ActionAid press release
for immediate release 12 May 2009

Pakistan needs international help to cope with the hundreds of thousands of people who are fleeing the fighting between government and Taliban forces in northwest Pakistan, ActionAid said today.

Fikre Zewdie, director of ActionAid Pakistan said: “More than 800,000 people could soon be living in camps or waiting for places in them. People urgently need food, water, shelter, sanitation and health care. The fighting could continue for a longer period, so they will not be going home soon. Pakistan cannot handle a crisis on this scale without international help.”

ActionAid staff are now in the field assessing the situation so that ActionAid can respond appropriately and effectively to help those in need.

The exodus began when government forces began operations against the Taliban in Swat and neighbouring districts last week. The temporary lifting of a curfew on Sunday 10 May allowed many more people to leave.

About 360,000 displaced people have now registered with the authorities, in camps or other locations, in Swabi, Mardan, Charsadda and Kohat districts. But many more are waiting to register or still on the move. Authorities in Mardan estimate that altogether 600,000 to 800,000 people have been displaced by the latest fighting.

The majority are expected to find rented accommodation or stay with relatives. But accommodation in the towns is becoming scarce. Aid agencies estimate that 300,000 will come to the camps, where 560,000 are already living because of earlier fighting in tribal areas. This could swell the camp population to more than 800,000.

People are queuing in very hot weather for tents or shelters, often fruitlessly. Water, medicine and sanitation facilities are very scarce and people are becoming increasingly agitated. The registration process requires identity documents, but some people left home too hurriedly to bring these with them and many, particularly women, do not have ID cards in the first place.

---ENDS---

ActionAid is a registered charity No. 274467 and a company limited by guarantee
Registered office: ActionAid, Hamlyn House, MacDonald Rd, London N19 5PG, UK
Registered in England and Wales - Company No. 1295174

UN: 1 Million Displaced in Northwest Pakistan

"The U.N. refugee agency says half a million people have fled fighting in northwestern Pakistan in the past few days, bringing the total displaced in recent months to 1 million.

A spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees says the fighting has led to massive displacement in the area.

...Up to 200,000 people have arrived in safe areas in the past few days and that another 300,000 are on the move or are about to flee. ..." [Associated Press]

"Those fleeing the latest escalation of hostilities in Lower Dir, Buner and Swat districts join another 555,000 previously displaced Pakistanis who had fled their homes in the tribal areas and NWFP since August 2008 and who had already been registered by NWFP authorities and UNHCR. The vast majority of the earlier arrivals - more than 462,000 people - are staying in rental accommodation or with host families. Another 93,000 are staying in 11 camps supported by UNHCR, other UN humanitarian agencies, non-governmental organizations and the Red Cross and Red Crescent family. ..." [Reuters]

"Relief workers 'can no longer reach the areas most affected by the fighting on account of the volatile situation,' Benno Kocher of the International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement yesterday. ..." [Bloomberg]

"...On Friday, Pakistan continued its assault on the area, sending fighter jets to bomb Taliban targets in and around Mingora, the main town in the Swat valley.

The Pakistani government is expected to begin a "major operation" within the next two days to take Mingora, Usher said.

While many residents have fled the city, tens of thousand remain. Some have said the Taliban are not allowing them to leave, perhaps because they want to use them as "human shields" and make the army unwilling to use force. ..." [CBC]

PAKISTAN: UN AGENCIES CONCERNED OVER ‘MASSIVE DISPLACEMENT’ IN NORTH-WEST

PAKISTAN: UN AGENCIES CONCERNED OVER 'MASSIVE DISPLACEMENT' IN NORTH-WEST
New York, May 8 2009 2:00PM
The United Nations agencies tasked with protecting refugee and children's rights today expressed deep concern over the "massive displacement" in north-west Pakistan caused by the widening armed conflict between Government forces and militants.

The provincial government estimates between 150,000 to 200,000 people have already arrived in safer areas of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) over the last few days, with another 300,000 already on the march or about to leave, according to the UN High Commission for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4a043ce52.html">UNHCR).

UNHCR noted that those fleeing the latest escalation of hostilities in Lower Dir, Buner and Swat join another 555,000 previously displaced Pakistanis who had fled their homes in the tribal areas and NWFP.

The new influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs) will place huge pressure on the resources already shared by around 93,000 people sheltering in 11 UNHCR-supported camps and over 450,000 staying in rental accommodation or host families.

To date, more than 83,000 recent IDPs from Buner, Dir, and Swat have been registered, including almost 5,000 staying in three new camps and more than 78,000 people who are staying outside of camps.

In Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore and other urban centres of the Punjab, UNHCR has registered a further 40,000 displaced people mainly from Bajaur, Mohmand and Swat over the past two weeks.

As part of a joint UN response to the influx of people fleeing the fighting in Lower Dir, Buner and Swat over the past week, UNHCR has helped establish three new camps, including Jalala and Shiekh Shehzad camps in Mardan and Yar Hussain in Swabi district.

In the last two days, an increasing number of families from Swat have gone to the Jalala camp, travelling in rickshaws, cars, small trucks and buses with little more than the clothes on their backs, UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4a04019d2.html">told reporters in Geneva.

New arrivals told UNHCR staff that they had trouble finding transport and had to pay steep prices to hire vehicles. One family of 20 from Buner reported paying the equivalent of $350 to travel to the camp from their home. Another man from Mingora, Swat, drove with his family in his rickshaw a harrowing seven hours to reach the safety of Jalala camp in tears.

Yesterday, a new reception centre – the first of four planned centres – opened on the main Malakand Road at Jalala to give people food, water and information about the camps and registration centres. Plans to provide medical care and transport assistance at the reception centres, as part of the joint UN response, are also underway.

UNHCR is currently responding to the emergency with relief supplies – such as tents, plastic sheets, buckets, jerry cans, and kitchen sets – for 100,000 people, while buying additional supplies for an additional 200,000.

"The majority of those worst affected are children, who have witnessed violence, experienced displacement, and faced interruptions to education and health services," the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_49618.html">UNICEF) said in a news release.

UNICEF noted that it was working closely with its aid partners, as well as the Federal and Provincial governments to provide assistance for people staying with relatives and to support the three new camps established in the last week.

To prevent the spread of disease among children, UNICEF Pakistan is supplying the camps with safe water, sanitation facilities and hygiene kits. The agency has also vaccinated more than 10,000 children under five years of age at transit points, as well as provided ongoing support for orphans and unaccompanied children who are fleeing, including a primary school in one new camp with an enrolment of around 200 children.

The agency also expressed concern for the civilians, especially children, still living in combat zones and "strongly urged all parties to take immediate measures to ensure that children are protected from the effects of armed conflict, and that aid workers and supplies for IDPs and civilians in conflict areas have safe passage."
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UN AGENCY FEARS 30 SOMALI BOAT PEOPLE DEAD IN TRAGEDY OFF THE COAST OF YEMEN

Some 30 Somalis escaping across the Gulf of Aden are feared dead after one boat capsized and another hit rough seas this weekend in two separate smuggling incidents, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported today.

The first boat, carrying 40 migrants, keeled over Saturday evening as the passengers attempted to disembark off the Yemeni coast. Although 20 made it to shore, the bodies of the remaining 20 have not been recovered, according to UNHCR.

Survivors washed ashore near Rass al Kalb, where a UNHCR partner, the Society for Human Solidarity (SHS), provided them with food and water before transporting them to the UNHCR reception centre in Mayfa'a for further assistance and registration.

The second tragedy occurred late Sunday afternoon off the coast of Rujeema, where survivors reported that eight migrants died and two were missing after their vessel, carrying 23, wandered into turbulent seas and began taking on water.

Witnesses told UNHCR that some of the deaths were due to suffocation as the smugglers covered the passengers with a tarpaulin in an effort to stop the water from getting in.

The 13 migrants that made it to dry land near Rujeema were given first aid by SHS and transferred to the UNHCR reception centre in Mayfa'a.

So far this year, a reported 17,035 people have made the dangerous voyage from the Horn of Africa to Yemen, while 74 people have died and 51 remain missing at sea, according to UNHCR.

Those who make the Gulf of Aden crossing are fleeing desperate situations of civil war, political instability, poverty and famine in Somalia and the region.
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Democracy, Human Rights, Refugees: U.S. Government Support for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

The Department of State will contribute $50 million to UNFPA in 2009, as provided in the Omnibus Appropriations Act. This decision highlights the Administration’s strong commitment to international family planning, women’s health, and global development. The United States is a global leader in promoting voluntary family planning and the health of vulnerable women and children in the developing world.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is the principal international organization supporting programs that provide access to voluntary family planning and reproductive health services, including information and counseling on a range of safe and affordable contraceptive methods. UNFPA works with governments to develop and strengthen laws and policies that support the equality of women and prevent rape, domestic abuse, and other forms of gender-based violence. We look forward to working closely with UNFPA on these important programs.

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CENTRAL AFRICAN REFUGEES CONTINUE FLEEING INTO CHAD, UN REPORTS

More than 100 CAR refugees crossed the volatile border to south-eastern Chad over the weekend, joining over 6,800 others who began arriving earlier this year in two sites near the remote Daha village registered by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Another 2,500 new arrivals are sheltering just across the border in the Chadian village of Massambaye, 125 kilometres east of Daha.

According to UNHCR spokesperson, Ron Redmond, the arrivals – most of whom are women, children and elderly people – have told the agency that they escaped clashes between Government forces and rebels in northern CAR.

"Refugees said they walked for two days before reaching the border," he told reporters in Geneva. "They said more people were still hiding in the bush in CAR for fear of being attacked or killed, and were trying to reach safety in Chad."

They also told UNHCR that they do not want to return to their homes in CAR at this point because of the insecurity in the north of their country and have expressed their desire to remain close to the Chad-CAR border, Mr. Redmond said.

UNHCR and its partners are supplying plastic sheeting, mats, blankets and other items to the refugees, who have started building their own small huts.

"We will continue to provide ad hoc assistance to those in Daha and Massambaye, but the region will become inaccessible once the rainy season starts at the end of April," the UNCHR spokesperson said.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has provided food rations for one month, with other distributions in the pipeline, while the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has built communal latrines.

For its part, UNHCR is assisting Daha's health centre, and malnourished refugee children are receiving supplementary food while all newly-arrived children are receiving vaccinations for measles and polio.

In southern Chad, there are currently some 56,000 CAR refugees, while in the country's east, over 250,000 Sudanese refugees fleeing the conflict in the Darfur region are living in 12 UNHCR-run camps. Additionally, the agency is helping over 160,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Chad.
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VIOLENCE THWARTS REFUGEE RETURN TO SOUTHERN SUDAN – UN

The deteriorating security situation in some parts of Southern Sudan is preventing the return of refugees from Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported today.

Last week, coordinated violent protests organized by war veterans from the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) – who have not been paid their benefits for five months – paralyzed some towns in the Central and Eastern Equatoria region and disrupted lives for several days.

After meetings with Southern Sudanese President Silva Kiir, from 19-20 March, the veterans lifted their blockade in the town of Yei, but the protests continue in Kapoeta, whose town centre is still occupied, UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond told reporters in Geneva.

These disturbances have impeded the movement of refugees and aid workers, forcing UNHCR to temporarily postpone or stop five repatriation convoys carrying nearly 1,000 returnees from Uganda.

In February, the agency suspended the repatriation of refugees from Ethiopia due to clashes between the SPLA and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Malakal that left over 50 people dead and leading to widespread looting of UN warehouses and the subsequent relocation of relief workers.

"UNHCR is also deeply concerned about the continuing conflict between the Nuer and Murle ethnic groups in the Jonglei region that has so far claimed the lives of some 750 people and caused significant displacement," Mr. Redmond said of the fighting which was sparked by cattle rustling raids.

The Governor of the Jonglei region held an emergency meeting with UN agencies last week to determine how to assist victims of these clashes.

Nearly 155,000 Sudanese refugees have returned voluntarily to South Sudan and Blue Nile State with UNHCR's help since December 2005. A further 157,000 refugees have also repatriated from neighbouring countries since the signing of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended two decades of north-south civil war in Sudan.
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CHAD: UN REGISTERS OVER 5,000 CENTRAL AFRICANS UPROOTED BY VIOLENCE

CHAD: UN REGISTERS OVER 5,000 CENTRAL AFRICANS UPROOTED BY VIOLENCE
New York, Mar 18 2009 6:00PM

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has registered more than 5,200 refugees in Chad who fled intensified fighting between Government forces and rebels in the north of their native Central African Republic (CAR) last December.

These refugees are sheltering in the village of Daha in south-eastern Chad, roughly one kilometre from the border with the CAR.

UNHCR and the World Food Programme (WFP) have distributed food to refugees this week, marking the second time they have received rations since their arrival in Chad.

Over 100 children have been enrolled at the local school and classes have started in two new facilities built by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), which has also trained teachers.

In addition, the agency has begun handing out high-protein biscuits to all children in the two camps in Daha, while it has begun constructing five wells for both refugees and the host population.

Due to wide-spread fighting and armed banditry in recent years in the CAR, some 200,000 Central Africans have been either internally displaced by the violence or forced to live as refugees in neighbouring Chad and Cameroon.
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