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03/17/2010
Nearly seven years after the beginning of the war in Iraq, an
unprecedented number of Iraqis are still living in squatter slums that
lack basic sanitation, water and electricity, a new field report from
Refugees International (RI) said today.
03/16/2010
Yesterday’s introduction of the Refugee Protection Act of 2010 by
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) shows a great commitment by the United
States to the world’s most vulnerable people fleeing persecution and
torture, said Refugees International.
03/02/2010
Working with civil society groups and providing support outside of
Port-au-Prince are two concrete steps to better meet the needs of
millions of Haitians, Refugees International said in a report today.
Based on a recent field assessment mission after the devastating
January 12 earthquake, “Haiti: From the Ground Up” argues that agencies
are falling short in meeting the needs of the Haitian people.
02/24/2010
Washington, D.C. - America has a vital role to play in supporting UN
peacekeepers' efforts to protect people during conflict, Refugees
International said in a report released today. The Last Line of Defense:
How Peacekeepers Can Better Protect Civilians draws on Refugees
International's field visits and existing UN studies to outline the
challenges peacekeepers face in providing security for people in
conflict areas. The report identifies key steps the U.S. can take to
support UN reforms and address these challenges, such as providing
peacekeepers with clear guidance, tools and training on the issue.
02/16/2010
The Government of Chad should allow the current UN peacekeeping
mission, MINURCAT, to remain in Chad and Central African Republic with
existing troop levels through 2010, said Refugees International today.
Although Chadian President Idriss Déby recently announced that
MINURCAT’s mandate should not be renewed, RI urged the UN Security
Council to work with the Government of Chad in order to renew the
mandate. The UN Security Council is scheduled to have consultations on
MINURCAT tomorrow.
02/04/2010
Today’s reintroduction of the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) by Senators John Kerry (D-MA), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Representatives William Delahunt (D-MA) and Ted Poe (R-TX) shows a great commitment to women and girls around the world, said Refugees International.
02/02/2010
Refugees International is pleased with yesterday’s announcement that
the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was able to
permanently close Al-Tanf camp. RI is also grateful for the efforts by
many members of the international community to help make this a
reality. We strongly urge the international community to continue to
help find sustainable solutions for those refugees who have now been
relocated to a remote camp within Syria.
01/21/2010
Refugees International (RI), the leading advocacy organization on
refugee crises worldwide, today announced the appointment of Dan
Glickman as its new president. Mr. Glickman brings to RI a long history
of public service, fighting hunger and helping underserved people in
the U.S. and around the world.
01/14/2010
Refugees International is distressed by the magnitude of
the destruction and loss of life as the result of the January 12
earthquake in Haiti.
01/08/2010
Washington, DC-- Today (9 January 2010) thousands of activists are gathering at
events in 15 countries in a global coordinated effort, calling on world
leaders to take urgent steps to prevent a return to severe and
widespread conflict in Sudan.
Sudan365 (www.sudan365.org), a year of campaigning for Sudan, has been
organised by a coalition of groups including Amnesty International,
Human Rights Watch, Save Darfur Coalition, FIDH, Refugees
International, Darfur Consortium and Arab Coalition for Darfur. The
full list of participating countries and groups can be found at:
www.sudan365.org.
12/24/2009
Nearly 35 years after first giving sanctuary to refugees from Vietnam,
Cambodia and Laos, the Royal Thai Government is allegedly considering
the forced expulsion of 4,000 Hmong, the last remnants of an
Indochinese refugee population that once numbered 1.5 million, back to
Laos.
12/10/2009
On December 10, International Human Rights Day, the government of the
Dominican Republic is set to promulgate a constitutional reform measure
that could leave large numbers of Dominicans of Haitian descent
stateless.
12/09/2009
"The recent events in Sudan are alarming. The crackdown on protesters
in Khartoum earlier this week and the brief detention of senior members
of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and leaders in other
opposition parties speak to a growing unrest in Sudanese politics.
These actions represent a serious deterioration of the political and
security situation in the country at a pivotal moment. With the
situation likely to worsen in 2010, Refugees International urges the
Obama Administration to take immediate action to prepare for potential
conflict and resulting large-scale displacement in south Sudan.
12/09/2009
Refugees International expressed concern today over insufficient
funding for humanitarian emergencies in the Fiscal Year 2010 Foreign
Operations Appropriations bill, which Congress is expected to pass
soon.
12/04/2009
As world leaders gather to negotiate an agreement to address the impact
of climate change, Refugees International urged them to make climate
displacement a priority. Natural disasters, such as cyclones and
droughts, have already forced millions of people from their homes.
11/05/2009
"Refugees International acoge con satisfacción la audiencia de hoy sobre las poblaciones Colombianas desplazadas en la Comisión Inter-Americana de Derechos Humanos de la Organización de Estados Americanos. Los civiles siguen siendo los principales afectados de décadas de violencia, con más de un cuarto de millón de personas obligadas a huir cada año. Sin embargo los desplazados Colombianos siguen recibiendo muy poca atención y apoyo."
10/26/2009
Refugees International released a new field report today on the
humanitarian crisis in Pakistan, which provides context for the recent
suicide bombings, the siege of Pakistan's military headquarters, and
the controversy over U.S. government aid.
10/19/2009
The new policy on Sudan announced by the Obama administration today represents a welcome clarification after months of ambiguity as to how exactly the administration would approach the various challenges presented by this pivotal country.
10/16/2009
The recent assassination of two Ecuadorian community leaders who have been helping Colombian refugees along the border between Ecuador and Colombia represents another indication that violence and terror are no longer contained within Colombian territory but are generating increasing instability well beyond its borders.
10/16/2009
At a Special Summit to be held in Uganda from 19-23 October, the
African Union (AU) is expected to adopt a Convention for the Prevention
of Internal Displacement and the Protection of and Assistance to
Internally Displaced Persons in Africa [hereafter, the Convention]. The
Convention would be the first international instrument of its kind and
would send a signal to the rest of the world about the seriousness with
which Africa, home to around half of the global total of internally
displaced persons (IDPs), considers the issue .
10/13/2009
Refugees International’s New York Circle features photography by Ann Curry and a short documentary by Matt Dillon
10/13/2009
Enhanced Protection Urgently Needed Due to Disastrous Toll on Civilian Populations
The Congolese government’s military operation in eastern Congo, Kimia II, backed by United Nations peacekeepers and aimed at neutralizing the threat from a Rwandan Hutu militia group, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), has resulted in an unacceptable cost for the civilian population, said 84 humanitarian and human rights groups in the Congo Advocacy Coalition today.
The Congolese government’s military operation in eastern Congo, Kimia II, backed by United Nations peacekeepers and aimed at neutralizing the threat from a Rwandan Hutu militia group, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), has resulted in an unacceptable cost for the civilian population, said 84 humanitarian and human rights groups in the Congo Advocacy Coalition today.
10/05/2009
Washington, D.C. - The Bush and Obama administrations demonstrated a
commitment to resolving the Iraqi refugee crisis by resettling 18,883
Iraqi refugees into the United States in FY 2009, Refugees
International said today. The total exceeded the original target figure
by nearly 2,000. Refugees International warned, however, that the
crisis continues as more Iraqis are still fleeing into neighboring
countries, and few are willing to return home.
09/30/2009
Washington, D.C. - Refugees International welcomes resolution
S/RES/1888 on Women, Peace and Security, which will be voted on this
morning in a Security Council meeting chaired by U.S. Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton. Today's resolution is a response to growing
concern by Refugees International and others over the anemic response
to sexual violence in armed conflict and lays out concrete steps that
the United Nations will take. In a welcome step forward, the Security
Council has also requested that a Special Representative to the
Secretary General (SRSG) be appointed to address sexual violence in
conflicts.
09/25/2009
Washington, D.C. – Refugees International applauds the State Department
for fully supporting the provision of humanitarian assistance to the
people of Burma as part of its policy review released soon. While the
review endorses keeping the major components of long-standing policy in
place, the support for humanitarian aid is an important shift. Refugees
International encourages the U.S. Congress to provide adequate funding
for a humanitarian assistance program that meets the needs of the
Burmese people.
09/22/2009
Washington, DC – A shortage of qualified and available U.S. Foreign
Service Officers and other personnel has created a vacuum that the U.S.
is forced to fill with military personnel, said a new report by
Refugees International released today. Drawing on the Full Strength of
America: Seeking Greater Civilian Capacity in U.S. Foreign Affairs
highlights the urgent need to build up U.S. civilian agencies in light
of the severe inequity between the Department of Defense and the State
Department. One example lies across the Sahel and Maghreb, where
soldiers are conducting development and public diplomacy tasks because
there aren’t enough civilians.
08/26/2009
The staff of Refugees International today joins thousands of Americans
in mourning the death of Senator Edward Kennedy. Senator Kennedy was a
towering figure in American public life for five decades.
08/15/2009
With grief and a deep
sense of loss, Refugees International announces that Kenneth H. Bacon,
President of Refugees International, died this morning from an
aggressive melanoma that spread into his brain. Mr. Bacon, who became
President of Refugees International in 2001 and was only 64 years old
at the time of his death, devoted the final years of his life to
building the organization into the leading advocacy group on refugee
crises.
08/10/2009
Washington, DC -- Refugees International announced plans to establish
the Ken and Darcy Bacon Center for the Study of Climate Displacement
today. The Center will use Refugees International’s successful advocacy
model to work towards stronger policies and structures that meet the
needs of the tens of millions of people expected to be displaced by
climate change in the coming decades.
08/06/2009
Refugees International welcomes yesterday's Security Council presidential statement which re-affirms the need for clear, achievable UN peacekeeping mandates, earlier consultation with troop contributing countries and more sustained and coordinated political engagement in ongoing peacekeeping operations.
08/04/2009
This week's trip by Secretary Clinton to visit Somali president Sheikh Sharif Ahmed and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) signals the Obama administration's commitment to finding solutions to two of the most dire crises facing Africa today, said Refugees International.
07/30/2009
Sudan Special Envoy General Scott Gration's testimony today continues to hail an inclusive approach for peace in all of Sudan, but ongoing efforts are needed to ensure all parties maintain their commitments, said Refugees International.
07/29/2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. needs to reassess its relationship with UN
peacekeeping operations to help develop an effective method to protect
civilians trapped in conflict, Refugees International said in a report
released today.
07/21/2009
Washington, DC- This week's decision in The Hague on the Abyei boundary
line between north and south Sudan is a test for peace in the region,
Refugees International said today. In addition, the organization urged
the U.S. to continue its focus on the growing tensions in south Sudan
in order to promote stability and to avert a new civil war between
north and south Sudan or a collapse of the south from internal
conflicts.
07/15/2009
Iraqi women who have been uprooted by violence in their country are increasingly susceptible to exploitation and abuse because of extreme financial pressures, a new field report from Refugees International (RI) described today.
07/13/2009
Refugees International (RI) expressed concern today over the Pakistani government’s announced plan to begin returns for thousands of displaced Pakistanis on July 13.
06/30/2009
As U.S. troops withdraw from Iraq, Refugees International is calling on the Administration to continue its programs in support of displaced people inside and outside Iraq.
06/29/2009
Ante Up for Africa will support Refugees International’s efforts for the displaced people of Darfur and all of Sudan as part of its charity celebrity poker tournament in Las Vegas on July 2, 2009.
06/24/2009
Report Outlines Humanitarian and Political Ramifications of Displaced Civilians, Calls for Immediate U.S. and UN Response
06/22/2009
Refugees International welcomes the Obama administration’s initiative to hold an international conference this week galvanizing support for Sudan’s Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).
06/11/2009
Refugees International (RI) expressed concern over the tragedy of the Pearl Continental Hotel bombing in Peshawar, and urged donor governments to step up their financial support for relief efforts in the country.
06/02/2009
"President
Obama's nomination of Eric Schwartz to serve as Assistant Secretary of
State for Population, Refugees and Migration shows the Obama
administration's commitment to the world's 41.9 million refugees and
internally displaced people, and 12 million stateless people.
05/21/2009
(Washington, D.C. 21 May 2009) – The introduction of legislation in the
U.S. Senate and House of Representatives earlier this week to commit
the United States to comprehensive efforts to help civilians threatened
by one of the world’s longest-running and brutal insurgencies is a
crucial step forward for U.S. policy in the region, a coalition of
twenty-two human rights, humanitarian, and faith-based groups said
today.
05/19/2009
Washington, DC - Secretary of State
Clinton's announcement providing $110 million in emergency relief for displaced
Pakistanis is a positive first step, Refugees International said today.
05/18/2009
(Goma, May 18, 2009) – The United Nations Security Council, visiting
the Democratic Republic of Congo beginning today, should press for
urgent action to protect civilians, a coalition of 68 aid and human
rights groups said today. The groups said the council should make clear
to both the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo (MONUC) and the Congolese
army that stronger measures to protect civilians are urgently needed
during military operations against Rwandan militias.
05/11/2009
Washington, D.C. – Refugees International thanked Annie Duke today for
raising $700,000 for the agency’s life-saving advocacy on Celebrity
Apprentice. The championship poker player took second place in the
contest, even though she raised far more money for her charity than
Joan Rivers, the winner. After Annie’s loss, her supporters launched a
grassroots internet campaign to raise the $250,000 that Refugees
International would have received from developer Donald Trump, the host
of the show, and Celebrity Apprentice had she won.
05/07/2009
Washington, D.C. - Refugees International is honoring Ted Turner with the 2009
McCall-Pierpaoli Humanitarian Award this evening as part of the organization's 30th Anniversary Dinner.
05/06/2009
Washington, D.C. – The Obama Administration must respond forcefully to
large scale displacement caused by recent fighting in Pakistan,
Refugees International urged today.
04/29/2009
Washington, D.C. - One year after Cyclone Nargis struck the Burmese delta on May 2, a sustained effort is still needed to ensure that aid operations continue to assist the Burmese people, Refugees International said today.
04/20/2009
Washington, DC - Six American aid agencies today urged the Obama administration to consider humanitarian needs in its policy review on Somalia. As the latest piracy attacks off the coast of Somalia capture the world's attention, humanitarian organizations warned that the country remains in the midst of a severe humanitarian crisis.
04/09/2009
Washington, D.C. - The best solution for most displaced Iraqis is to return home, but the Government of Iraq and the international community must first establish safe conditions for them, a new field report by Refugees International (RI) said today.
04/06/2009
On Thursday, May 7th, Refugees International (RI) will host its 30th Anniversary Dinner, honoring Ted Turner with the 2009 McCall-Pierpaoli Humanitarian Award. Mr. Turner will be recognized for his inspiring commitment to humanitarian issues, including the establishment of the United Nations Foundation and the creation of CNN, which is renowned for bringing humanitarian crises to light.
04/03/2009
Washington, D.C. -A new government in Somalia has so far meant little
to the more than three million Somalis in need of emergency assistance
inside the country, Refugees International (RI) said in its latest
field report today.
03/31/2009
As security in Iraq improves, refugees and internally displaced Iraqis are starting to return home, but the returns are slow and tentative. The new security climate in Iraq has not yet translated into increases in the provision of services to displaced Iraqis and more must be done to assist and protect them.
03/26/2009
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. must immediately work with the Government
of Southern Sudan (GoSS) to secure an emergency financial rescue
package in order to avoid a breakdown of law and order, Refugees
International (RI) urged in a new field report today. The U.S. must
also help the GoSS build basic social services, create jobs and expand
agricultural opportunities for the millions of people who have returned
to south Sudan and the communities that have received them.
03/11/2009
Despite gains made in recent years, more forceful efforts are needed to assist 12 million stateless people who hold no effective nationality, Refugees International revealed in a new report today. Nationality Rights for All: A Progress Report and Global Survey on Statelessness highlights how stateless people lack access to basic services and receive no legal protection.
03/09/2009
The Government of Sudan’s expulsion of more than a dozen non-governmental organizations from Darfur has put the lives of over a million displaced people at risk. It should immediately rescind its decision and allow these organizations to resume operations.
03/04/2009
Writing to President Barack Obama in response to his new Iraq strategy, more than 40 leading U.S.-based organizations praise the President’s promise to help vulnerable Iraqis and call for a comprehensive humanitarian, development and refugee resettlement strategy led by civilian agencies.
03/04/2009
We welcome today’s decision by the judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. Their decision adds international legal weight to a long obvious truth - primary responsibility for the atrocities in Darfur rests with the regime that Bashir heads.
02/18/2009
As President Obama works to stabilize Iraq, he must
be sure to comprehensively address the Iraqi refugee crisis. Five million Iraqis have been uprooted by conflict, forced to leave everything behind.
They have sought refuge within Iraq, Syria, Jordan and other
neighboring countries. They are running out of resources with little
opportunity for employment; access to food, heath care, education and
other essential services is extremely limited.
02/12/2009
Washington D.C. - Alarming increases in the number of displaced people
in Pakistan must lead Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke to make the
protection of civilians a top U.S. policy priority in Pakistan,
Refugees International (RI) said today.
01/15/2009
Washington, D.C. – Secretary of State designate Hillary Clinton should
address the humanitarian and political crisis in Somalia as soon as she
takes office, Refugees International urged today after the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee approved her nomination. Refugees
International congratulated Mrs. Clinton on receiving approval by the
Senate panel, but urged quick action. Somalia faces the world’s worst
humanitarian crisis and the U.S. should play a lead role in addressing
the political chaos at the root of the issue.
01/14/2009
US President George W. Bush’s decision to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to President Álvaro Uribe of Colombia is a disturbing example of the Bush administration’s disregard for serious human rights concerns out of zeal to show unconditional support to governments that it views as strategic allies, seven leading nongovernmental organizations said today.
01/12/2009
The Government of Thailand should instruct its Army to desist
from its new and troubling policy of pushing refugees and migrants
intercepted on boats back out to sea. The boat people are primarily
stateless Burmese Rohingya escaping severe oppression and harsh poverty
at home, but also include some Bangladeshi migrants. Both groups board
boats of varying seaworthiness with the aim of finding security and
economic opportunity in Thailand and Malaysia. The Thai government is
detaining them on a remote island and then forcing them back out to
sea. The policy endangers their lives, and exposes them to the risk of
capsizing or sinking.
01/05/2009
The current conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas is having a
devastating impact on civilians. An immediate ceasefire is essential.
12/18/2008
On Monday, January 12th, 2009 Matt Dillon and Sarah Jessica Parker will join Refugees International to host a one-night only performance of the critically acclaimed George Packer play, Betrayed, at the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater.
12/16/2008
Washington, D.C. - United Nations Security Council members must develop a strategy in ongoing discussions on piracy in Somalia that addresses the root causes of the problem, Refugees International (RI) urged today.
12/01/2008
"As Secretary of State, Senator Hillary Clinton will face opportunities
to broker solutions to the major refugee crises in the world today.
Secretary Robert Gates, General James Jones and Susan Rice are all
committed to multilateral solutions to the 21st century's most
challenging foreign policy issues, and will help President-elect Obama
retain military strength while building strong civilian capacity in the
U.S. government to resolve international crises.
11/20/2008
Washington, DC - Refugees International welcomed the passage of today's
UN Security Council Resolution authorizing the temporary deployment of
3,000 new peacekeepers and police for the DR Congo. However, the
organization continued to express concern that the people in eastern
Congo who lack access to services or protection from harm could not
wait three to six months before any troops would be deployed. Refugees
International continued to call for the European Union to immediately
deploy a short-term rapid reaction force that can defend strategic
towns until UN reinforcements arrive, and allow the UN peacekeeping
mission to reorganize itself.
10/30/2008
Refugees International reports that support to Iraqis in neighboring countries must be continued
10/29/2008
Nairobi, Kenya -- Refugees International (RI) expressed grave concern
today over the multiple suicide bomb attacks in Hargeisa, Somaliland
and the implications this violence will have on the provision of
international assistance in the region. RI is particularly disturbed
over the targeting of a United Nations compound, which echoes a pattern
of attacks on the UN in the southern part of Somalia in recent months.
10/27/2008
UN Peacekeeping Mission Requires More Resources to Stem Violence in DR Congo
Conflicting mandate and lack of political support have hampered UN Peacekeepers' capacity to respond
Conflicting mandate and lack of political support have hampered UN Peacekeepers' capacity to respond
10/22/2008
Washington, DC - Millions of stateless children around the world are
being denied education, health care, and the basic rights that
accompany citizenship, Refugees International revealed in a new report
today.
09/29/2008
AFRICOM Launch Marks Increased U.S. Military Role in Africa
09/26/2008
Refugees International accused the Government of Iraq of ignoring the
welfare of four million displaced Iraqis after an Iraqi parliamentary
committee made its third request this year for funding to assist them.
As the Iraqi parliamentary committee on displacement and migration
requested $4 billion of next year's $78.8 billion budget, Refugees
International called on the Government of Iraq to immediately provide
the requested funding and design a strategy to adequately respond to
the crisis.
08/05/2008
First Lady Laura Bush's visit to Thailand's Mae La camp, which houses thousands of Burmese refugees, emphasizes the need for continued humanitarian aid for all the people of Burma, Refugees International said today.
05/30/2008
Nearly one month after Cyclone Nargis struck Burma, the Burmese military government has raised another hurdle to effective humanitarian response by forcibly closing camps for cyclone survivors and forcing them back home, Refugees International said today.
05/05/2008
The U.S. should lift its funding restrictions on humanitarian aid to Burma and offer emergency assistance in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, Refugees International said today.
01/11/2008
11/28/2007
04/17/2007
02/27/2007
Refugees International applauds the
prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for presenting
evidence which indicates that a former Minister of State for the
Interior of the Government of the Sudan and a leader of the Janjaweed
militia jointly committed crimes against civilians in Darfur.
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202.413.6027
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Press & Information
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202-904-0319
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Refugees International · 2001 S Street NW · Suite 700 · Washington, DC 20009 Phone: 202-828-0110 Fax: 202-828-0819 Email: ri@refintl.org