Refugees

June 20, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Edward M. Kennedy today introduced a bill to establish a senior position at the White House to coordinate, develop and implement strategies to more effectively address the plight of Iraqi refugees and internally displaced persons. Since the 2003 invasion, more than four million Iraqis have been displaced from their home or have become refugees. Senator Kennedy is Chairman of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Refugees.    » read more »

June 16, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement on Luol Deng being selected as the 2008 recipient of the UN Refugee Agency's Humanitarian of the Year Award:

"I want to congratulate Luol Deng on being honored with this award. In a world rife with conflict, one of our most important obligations is to look after the innocent victims of war, including those who are forced to flee their homes as refugees - and few understand this better than Luol.

"His dedication to bringing hope to millions of children living as refugees in Sudan and around the world is an inspiration, as is Luol's own life itself. Both on and off the court, Luol sets a standard of excellence and service that all Americans can look to for inspiration."    » read more »

15 June 2008 -- "Omar, a 69-year-old refugee from Baghdad, said he will die a 'slow death' if assistance is stopped. He and his family have depended on food and medical assistance since they fled to Syria in 2006." – UNHCR, May 2008.

Iraq remains one of the most dangerous places in the world. Its refugee crisis is worsening. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), since the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, an estimated 4.7 million have been displaced both within and outside Iraq and for many the situation is desperate.    » read more »

The Red Cross says Cyclone Nargis may have affected as many as 2.5 million people in Burma, and international groups say the death toll could end up being more than 100,000.

Burma raised its official death toll last week to 38,000, as weather organizations predicted more heavy rain that could make flooding in the country's agricultural belt even worse.

Burmese refugees in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis: Photo by TZA (CC)

The cyclone hit over two weeks ago, devastating Burma's Irrawaddy delta.

The United Nations says lack of emergency aid could contribute to famine and disease that would send the death toll even higher.    » read more »

10 May 2008 -- The UN refugee agency warns it may have to reduce or even suspend a number of aid programs for hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees because it has received only about half of the $261 million it needs.

The UN refugee agency says fading international interest in Iraq is having a terrible impact on the nearly five million people who have fled their homes.

A young boy watches as U.S. Marines distribute clothes and toys to Iraqi refugees: Humanitarian aid compound in Fallujah, Iraq. Photo by James Gordon (CC)    » read more »

13 April 2008 -- A new report indicates Iraqi refugees and internally displaced people who have returned home find no relief from the humanitarian crisis they suffered during their exile and displacement. Iraq's Ministry for Displacement and Migration and the International Organization for Migration made the assessment in a survey of more than five thousand returnees.

Iraqi refugee family in Damascus: Photo by Jim Gordon (CC)

The joint Iraqi / I.O.M. study finds the situation for those Iraqis returning home is grim and not necessarily an improvement from when they were displaced.    » read more »

April 8, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC- Today, Senators Edward M. Kennedy and Joseph Biden released a report detailing the lack of American leadership in the Iraqi refugee crisis. An estimated two million Iraqi refugees have been displaced from their homes and are living in Syria and Jordan, with another two million displaced within Iraq.

A young Iraqi refugee in Syria: An Iraqi refugee boy stands beside his mother, who holds her registration certificate from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Photo by Catholic Relief Services (CC)    » read more »