Rising from the Floods: Lessons from Katrina in Pakistan

Five years after Hurricane Katrina tore through the Gulf Coast, destroying homes and leaving people desperate for food and shelter, we are witnessing similar scenes of destruction coming out of Pakistan. Floods caused by torrential monsoon rains have affected an estimated 17 million Pakistanis while humanitarian agencies, local relief organizations, and the Pakistani government and military, struggle to provide desperately needed assistance and to reach over one million stranded victims. 

Osh: Unexpected Violence Ravages a Community

The acrid smell of smoke and piles of rubble characterize once vibrant Uzbek communities in Osh. In the neighborhoods surrounding Osh's famous mountain in the city, Uzbek homes and businesses are now burnt-out shells or piles of rubble. Family members sit on the sidewalk in front of their homes, some pausing from shoveling out broken plaster, others awaiting the delivery of plastic tarps or tents so that they might camp out on their property.

Iraqi Refugees: "The Unreturned" Documentary

Last week, Refugees International and the International Rescue Committee were co-presenters of a documentary about Iraqi refugees at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival in New York City.  The Unreturned is a powerful depiction of the lives of five Iraqis as they struggle to begin again in Syria and Jordan after fleeing violence in Iraq.

June 4, 2010
Refugees International's president Dan Glickman and senior advocate Patrick Duplat assessed conditions for displaced people in Pakistan in May 2010. This footage is from their visit to the Jalozai Camp in Peshawar, which now holds approximately 107,000 internally displaced people.

The UN estimates the current number of displaced at 1.24 million, of whom at least 130,000 have left conflict zones since the start of the year. This is in addition to the 1.7 million Afghan refugees hosted by Pakistan.

Letter to Secretary Clinton and Secretary Gates: Protect Displaced Iraqis

Dear Secretary Clinton and Secretary Gates:

As the U.S. military presence in Iraq shrinks over the coming year, Refugees International urges you to work together to ensure that there is sufficient support and protection for vulnerable displaced Iraqis, both inside Iraq and in neighboring countries. During the 2008 campaign, President Obama promised to “keep faith with Iraqis who kept faith with us […] Keeping this moral obligation is a key part of how we turn the page in Iraq.  Because what’s at stake is bigger than the war—it’s our global leadership.”

Letter to President Obama: USAID Appointments Essential to U.S. Foreign Aid Work

President Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

Testimony Before the Judiciary Committee on the Refugee Protection Act of 2010

Testimony Submitted by
Dan Glickman
President, Refugees International

To the hearing before the
U.S. Senate, Committee on the Judiciary
Wednesday, May 19, 2010


Introduction

South Sudan: Caught in Between in Southern Kordofan

The state of Southern Kordofan was the site of some of the deadliest fighting between north and south Sudan during the 22-year war which ended in 2005 with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). The state lies at the (as yet undefined) border between north and south Sudan, and it is next to South Darfur. Under the CPA, Southern Kordofan lies in north Sudan, but it has a substantial population of Nuba people who identify with south Sudan.

Syndicate content