UNHCR
Record 100 million people forcibly displaced worldwide: UNHCR
The Ukraine war and other conflicts pushed the number of people forced to flee conflict, violence, human rights violations and persecution over the staggering milestone of 100 million for the first time on record, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has said.
“One hundred million is a stark figure -- sobering and alarming in equal measure. It’s a record that should never have been set,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi on Sunday.
Also read:UNHCR, partners call for sustained funding, support for Rohingyas
“This must serve as a wake-up call to resolve and prevent destructive conflicts, end persecution, and address the underlying causes that force innocent people to flee their homes”.
According to UNHCR, the number of forcibly displaced people worldwide rose to 90 million by the end of 2021, propelled by new waves of violence or protracted conflict in countries including Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Nigeria, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In 2022, the war in Ukraine has displaced 8 million within the country this year and forced around 6 million to leave the nation.
Staggering record
100 million people forcibly displaced worldwide represents 1% of the global population and is equivalent to the 14th most populous country in the world.
The number includes refugees and asylum seekers as well as the 53.2 million people displaced inside their borders by conflict.
“The international response to people fleeing war in Ukraine has been overwhelmingly positive,” Grandi added. “Compassion is alive, and we need a similar mobilization for all crises around the world. But ultimately, humanitarian aid is a palliative, not a cure. To reverse this trend, the only answer is peace and stability so that innocent people are not forced to gamble between acute danger at home or precarious flight and exile”.
Last week, the International Organization for Migration informed that a record 59.1 million people were displaced within their homelands last year, four million more than in 2020.
Also read:UNHCR seeks steps to improve wellbeing of Myanmar refugees in Thailand
Conflict and violence triggered 14.4 million internal displacements in 2021, a nearly 50 per cent increase over the previous year.
Meanwhile, weather-related events such as floods, storms and cyclones resulted in some 23.7 million internal displacements in 2021, mainly in the Asia-Pacific region.
UNHCR, partners call for sustained funding, support for Rohingyas
As the Rohingya refugee response in Bangladesh is well advanced in its 5th year, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and partners have called once more on the global community to provide sustained support for the Rohingyas and the Bangladeshi communities hosting them.
The 2022 Joint Response Plan (JRP) for the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis is being launched on Tuesday.
To support approximately 1.4 million people, including over 918,000 Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char, and around 540,000 Bangladeshis in neighbouring communities, this year’s JRP sought funds of over USD 881 million.
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Under the leadership of the Bangladeshi authorities, the JRP’s response for 2022 brings together the activities of 136 partners, of which 74 are Bangladeshi organizations. It also recognizes the significant contributions of the refugees themselves to the response.
The Government of Bangladesh, supported by the international community, has generously hosted Rohingya refugees for decades. At a time when global displacement continues to rise, UNHCR and partners are emphasizing the need to ensure that the Rohingya situation does not become a forgotten crisis.
It is therefore vital to ensure continued funding and support to meet the needs of refugees and surrounding host communities, according to UNHCR.
Given their location and geography, the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar are especially vulnerable to natural disasters. This year’s JRP accordingly highlights the need for enhanced efforts towards disaster risk management and climate change mitigation, including through reforestation and energy interventions.
The solutions to this humanitarian situation ultimately lie within Myanmar. Many Rohingya refugees continue to express their desire to return home when conditions allow. UNHCR and partners continue to maintain a presence in Rakhine State to support Myanmar to create the conditions that would be conducive for such returns. The steadfast support from the international community has been, and will be, crucial in delivering lifesaving protection and assistance services for Rohingya refugees, until they are able to return voluntarily, safely, and with dignity.
Read: Sustainable solution of Rohingya issues lies on repatriation: FS
While they are in Bangladesh, it is important that Rohingya refugees are able to live safe and dignified lives, and that they can develop the skills and capacities that could support their sustainable return in the future.
For the first time, the JRP also includes humanitarian activities on Bhasan Char, where over 24,000 Rohingya refugees have been relocated to date by the Government of Bangladesh. It is critical to continue to scale up essential humanitarian services on the island, including in the areas of health, protection, nutrition, education, and livelihoods and skills building.
The virtual JRP launch event was jointly co-hosted by the Government of Bangladesh, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UNHCR.
Over 500,000 flee Ukraine
Fighting in embattled Ukraine has so far pushed more than 500,000 people across the country's borders, according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).
"This is a massive outflow that we're witnessing and has all just happened in the space of five days. So this is a fast-growing refugee emergency," spokesperson Shabia Mantoo said Monday.
Ukrainians have been fleeing their homeland since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the "special military operation" on February 24, following weeks of troops and weapons buildups near the borders.
The majority, mostly women and children, has headed west to Poland. Others are entering Hungary, Moldova, Romania and beyond.
At the borders of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and non-European Union (EU) member Moldova, long lines of cars and buses were backed up at checkpoints Monday. Others crossed the borders on foot.
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Several hundred refugees were gathered at a temporary reception centre in the Hungarian border village of Beregsurany, where they awaited transportation to transit hubs that could take them further into Hungary and beyond.
Many of the refugees at the reception centre in Beregsurany, as in other border areas in Eastern Europe, are from India, Nigeria and other African countries, and were working or studying in Ukraine when the war broke out.
Hungary has opened its borders to all refugees fleeing Ukraine, including third-country nationals that can prove Ukrainian residency.
It has set up a "humanitarian corridor" to escort non-Ukrainian nationals from the border to airports in the city of Debrecen and the capital Budapest.
The welcome that Hungary is now showing Ukrainians is very different from the unwelcoming stance they have had toward refugees and migrants from the Middle East and Africa in recent years.
In Poland, the country that has reported the most arrivals, trains continued to bring refugees into the border town of Przemysl.
Olga, a 36-year-old mother from Kyiv is among the refugees. She set off from the city by car Thursday, accompanied by her daughter, 8, and son, 2, along with a neighbour and her daughter.
After three days on the road, they arrived at the Polish border town of Zosin.
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"We fled as soon as the first bombs fell. It took us 12 hours just to get out of Kyiv," Olga told the UNHCR Saturday. Normally, the journey would have taken seven hours.
Agency staff caught up with Olga when her car was in a line of thousands on the bridge over the River Bug, which marks the border between Ukraine and Poland.
"We've been waiting here for 36 hours now," she said at the time, referring to the 14-kilometre queue.
People arriving on foot can skip the long traffic line and enter Poland much quicker.
Ukrainian refugees are being registered by national authorities in the countries that have received them.
The UNHCR and its partners are on the ground at main border areas to support these efforts.
Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, has stressed that security and access for humanitarian action must be guaranteed.
"The UNHCR is also working with governments in neighbouring countries, calling on them to keep borders open to those seeking safety and protection," he said.
No winners in war but countless lives to be torn apart: UNHCR
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has said there are no winners in war but countless lives will be torn apart.
"We are gravely concerned about the fast-deteriorating situation and ongoing military action in Ukraine," Grandi said in a statement, adding that the humanitarian consequences on civilian populations will be devastating.
He said they have already seen reports of casualties and people starting to flee their homes to seek safety. "Civilian lives and civilian infrastructure must be protected and safeguarded at all times, in line with International Humanitarian Law."
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UNHCR is working with the authorities, UN and other partners in Ukraine and is ready to provide humanitarian assistance wherever necessary and possible.
"To that effect, security and access for humanitarian efforts must be guaranteed," said. Grandi
UNHCR is also working with governments in neighbouring countries, calling on them to keep borders open to those seeking safety and protection.
"We stand ready to support efforts by all to respond to any situation of forced displacement," he said.
Accordingly, Grandi said, they have stepped up their operations and capacity in Ukraine and neighbouring countries.
Also read: Russia-Ukraine: What to know as Russia attacks Ukraine
"We remain firmly committed to support all affected populations in Ukraine and countries in the region," he said.
UNHCR sees clear improvement of conditions, services in Bhasan Char
United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees Kelly T. Clements on Friday said Bhasan Char has the potential to become a temporary stay for the Rohingya refugees.
She said there has been clear improvement in the conditions and availability of services since UNHCR and UN partners began supporting the government in October.
However, its sustainability will depend on scaling up health and education services, improving access to livelihoods and income generating activities, and above all, continuing to ensure the voluntariness of relocations to the island and regular family visits to and from the mainland, Clements said.
With return to Myanmar unlikely in the immediate future, UNHCR has underscored the need for a more comprehensive approach to humanitarian support.
This includes alternative solutions for Rohingya refugees such as resettlement to third countries for the most vulnerable with specific protection needs, and complementary pathways overseas which could include employment and educational opportunities, said the UN refugee agency.
Read: 15,000 people in Cox’s Bazar receive UNHCR’s aid1
UNHCR seeks steps to improve wellbeing of Myanmar refugees in Thailand
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, on Thursday expressed its continued encouragement and support for the adoption of measures to improve the wellbeing and safety of Myanmar refugees who have been arriving in Thailand since mid-December.
According to official sources, over 9,500 civilians had been forced to flee their homes in Kayin and Kayah states in southeast Myanmar, seeking shelter and protection in Tak and Mae Hong Son Provinces in Thailand.
While the majority has returned to Myanmar, UNHCR understands from the Thai authorities that approximately 1,000 refugees remain in Mae Sot, the vast majority of whom are staying in a site in Mae Kone Kane.
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While recognizing the assistance provided thus far by the government with the support of local communities, this may not be sustainable nor sufficient for individuals with vulnerabilities and specific healthcare needs, said the UN agency.
“The situation remains extremely uncertain and volatile in Myanmar,” UNHCR said.
Given the pressing humanitarian needs of the refugees and the continued fighting on the Myanmar side of the border, UNHCR called on the Thai Government to transfer the group of refugees being sheltered in the ‘temporary safety area’ in Mae Sot, Tak Province, to another location where they can access safer and more dignified temporary accommodation, and receive improved humanitarian assistance.
UNHCR reiterated its readiness to assist the Thai authorities in responding to the humanitarian needs of the new arrivals.
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To that effect, UNHCR and humanitarian partners continue to request access to the refugee population.
UNHCR also reiterated its call that, in accordance with international law, all those seeking international protection and fleeing conflict, generalized violence or persecution be allowed to cross borders in search of safety, and that they are not forcibly sent back to a place where their lives and freedom could be in danger.
Solution to Rohingya crisis to help realize free Indo-Pacific: Japan
Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ito Naoki has said Japan will continue to work towards early repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar noting that a durable solution to the Rohingya crisis will be helpful to realise a free and open Indo-Pacific.
“I’m of the view that a durable solution to this crisis will be conducive to realising Free and Open Indo- Pacific,” he said on Wednesday.
The Japanese Ambassador mentioned that his country will continue contributing to the better living conditions of refugees and host communities in collaboration with international organisations and NGOs.
Bangladesh urged to improve security in Rohingya camps
UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, has urged Bangladesh to take immediate measures to improve the security in the Rohingya camps, saying that it is "extremely concerned" by another violent attack there.
"UNHCR is extremely concerned by another violent attack in the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh," said the UN agency in a statement issued Friday night.
Read: Gun attack on madrasa in Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camp; 7 dead
This incident, which took place in the early morning, resulted in the death of at least seven refugees and an unspecified number of injured, including children, it said.
Those with injuries are now receiving medical care.
Read: Killings in Rohingya camp to disrupt repatriation: Foreign Minister
The UNHCR also sought arrest and prosecution of those responsible for instigating and committing these violent attacks in accordance with the law.
"Rohingya refugees fled to Bangladesh seeking safety and security from violence. A large majority – some 80 per cent – are women and children," the UN agency said.
UN arrival at Bhasan Char to ease better int’l coordination for repatriation: Japan
Seeking sustained international pressure on Myanmar to achieve the Rohingya repatriation goal, Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh has said the signing of an MoU between Bangladesh and the UNHCR to begin UN engagement in Bhasan Char will pave the way for even better cooperation and coordination on the Rohingya repatriation process.
“It’s very important that the international community puts pressure on Myanmar as part of the repatriation work. How? I think it depends on the individual country,” he told diplomatic correspondents at “DCAB Talk” on Thursday emphasizing the importance of peace and stability in the region.
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Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) organized its flagship programme at Jatiya Press Club. DCAB President Pantho Rahaman and its General Secretary AKM Moinuddin also spoke at the event.
Responding to a question on how the international community can put pressure on Myanmar, Ambassador Naoki said there has been pressure coming through UN resolutions which is of course one way while the other possibility is direct contact or direct representation.
“I would say Japan has been doing this by making the use of the channels that Japan has established. So, we directly communicated with the Myanmar military side,” he said.
The Japanese envoy said Japan might not have played a very prominent role but he thinks Japan has been playing a very important role in its own way. “Japan has been doing what Japan can do. We’ll continue to do that.”
Rohingyas overjoyed at UN arrival in Bhasan Char
The Rohingyas in Bhasan Char have welcomed the decision of the United Nations (UN) to engage there in providing humanitarian support.
On Sunday, they brought out a procession expressing their joy over the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Bangladesh government and the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency.
They were seen joining the joyous procession peacefully holding placards that read "Welcome UN", "Welcome UNHCR", "Thank You UN," "We Are Happy at Bhasan Char 2021."
Head Rohingya leaders led the procession from 2:30pm to 3pm joined by over a thousand Rohingyas, said a source at Bhasan Char.
The procession that began from Shelter 9 ended at Rohingya Bazar, going through Hospital Road.
Bangladesh and the UN signed the formal document Saturday, ending a long wait for a much-sought UN engagement at Bhasan Char on the humanitarian front to support the Rohingyas there.
Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief Md Mohsin and Bangladesh Representative of UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, Johannes van der Klaauw, signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the Secretariat.
Read: Crucial MoU on UN's operational engagement in Bhasan Char signed