This year, we traveled to the epicenters of some of the world’s most pressing humanitarian emergencies to hear from displaced people directly and learn about the challenges they face. The numbers—more than 70 million people displaced by conflict, persecution, and abuses of human rights—and the human suffering seems so daunting. But the Refugees International team also witnessed much that is inspiring. We offer some of their reflections below.
More Than Small Glimmers of Hope
Even in these difficult times, there are more than small glimmers of hope for those who care deeply about promoting a brighter future for the millions of people worldwide who have been displaced by conflict, persecution and human rights violations, and natural disasters.
We can be inspired simply by the strength and the courage of those who are forced from their homes and endure such suffering yet choose to persevere: the Rohingya woman, her name was Lila, whom I met in Bangladesh, who saw soldiers torch her village and shoot people attempting to flee; who escaped with her three young daughters as her husband told her he would meet them in Bangladesh, who learned later that her husband was shot and killed, and who was determined to tell us her story so the world could know, and determined to make a life for herself and her children.
We can be encouraged that international organizations and governments have begun, however haltingly, to recognize that the world’s refugees should not be warehoused pending political solutions in their countries—but rather that such people deserve access to education and employment and the ability to develop themselves and their families in their places of refuge.
“while the bad news may be that governments are not doing enough to address humanitarian needs, we know that with greater political will, these challenges are surmountable.”
And we can be reinvigorated by the fact that while forced migration around the world is an overwhelming burden for millions of affected people, it is really a manageable global public policy challenge: refugees and others forcibly displaced by conflict, persecution, and human rights violations make up less than 1 percent of world population, and the 29 billion dollars or so spent on humanitarian assistance each year is really minuscule. In other words, while the bad news may be that governments are not doing enough to address humanitarian needs, we know that with greater political will, these challenges are surmountable.
Strength in the Somali Region of Ethiopia
Ann Hollingsworth, Director of Government Relations and Senior Policy Adviser
This March, I traveled to the Somali region of Ethiopia to speak with people who are still displaced following a severe 2015-16 drought. Just getting to the remote sites where people are still living in camps often took hours on roads that were, well, not really roads. As we traveled, I imagined their journeys to these places three or four years ago in search of safety and support.
The Refugees International team met with people displaced by a severe 2015-16 drought in the Somali region of Ethiopia.
Initially, the international community rallied to respond to the emergency and provided food, medicine, and shelter supplies. But now, that help has mostly dried up. We saw large families living in single huts that barely provided safety or protection from the region’s harsh sunlight. Nonetheless, I was moved by the strength and resourcefulness of the people we met. Many of the makeshift shelters were built by the displaced people themselves out of sticks, or nets and plastic sheeting where possible. And while I left Ethiopia frustrated by the lack of international attention to this vulnerable population, I was inspired by the people I met, who were sharing their stories as they fought for a better life for their families.
Unity in Burkina Faso
Alexandra Lamarche, Senior Advocate for West and Central Africa
For decades, Burkina Faso was a relatively developed and agriculturally self-sufficient country whose various ethnic and religious populations largely coexisted in peace. But the country’s 2014 revolution left a power vacuum that resulted in the entry of militant groups from Mali. Burkinabe insurgent and religious extremist groups then emerged to push the country over the brink into conflict.
Insecurity has forced hundreds of thousands to flee their lands—cutting them off from their livelihoods and sources of food. The number of displaced Burkinabés could reach 650,000 by the end of the year. Alarmingly, the international community has yet to launch a significant humanitarian response of the scale required to meet the needs of the affected population.
“At a grim time in Burkina’s history, these people are finding a way to honor a legacy of coexistence and unity.”
During my time in Burkina this past fall, I was impressed by the commitment of community organizations that are helping their fellow Burkinabés in need. Organizations that traditionally worked on agriculture or infrastructure development have shifted the scope of their work to provide emergency food and shelters for displaced families. At a grim time in Burkina’s history, these people are finding a way to honor a legacy of coexistence and unity.
Local U.S. Defenders of Refugees
Cindy Huang, Vice President of Strategic Outreach
In September, the Trump administration proposed a refugee resettlement ceiling of 18,000, the lowest in the program’s four-decade history. This announcement was paired with an Executive Order (EO) that requires governors and local officials to provide written, public consent to continue the resettlement program in their state or county. Though many communities are continuing to welcome refugees with open arms, the low ceiling and EO pose significant risks to the U.S. resettlement program and refugee protection. While these policies are disheartening, I’ve been encouraged to see the many champions who are stepping forward.
“While these policies are disheartening, I’ve been encouraged to see the many champions who are stepping forward. ”
Recently, three resettlement agencies filed a lawsuit to challenge the Executive Order as unconstitutional and a threat to the very resettlement system. In addition, 11 governors have already provided written or verbal support for continuing refugee resettlement: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey, Colorado, New Mexico, Massachusetts, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and North Dakota.
In his statement, Gov. Doug Burgum said, “North Dakota has had success at integrating refugees who have become responsible citizens and productive members of the workforce.” Tim Mahoney, Mayor of Fargo, North Dakota, reflected on the importance of refugees in the local economy, “I have 33 businesses that say they will take as many (refugees) as they could.”
We can be hopeful that people from business, faith, and other communities are raising their voices to ensure that American remains a refuge for those fleeing persecution and violence.
Empowerment in Rohingya Refugee Camps
Daniel P. Sullivan, Senior Advocate For Human Rights
In my travels to areas of humanitarian crisis in 2019, I often drew inspiration from people who, despite difficult circumstances, are empowering those around them toward the vision of a better life. One of those individuals was Chekufah, a Rohingya woman who has formed a network of women leaders in the sprawling refugee camps in Bangladesh.
The Refugees International team met with, Chekufah, right, as she hosted a meeting of her Women’s Empowerment and Advocacy Network.
Like so many others, Chekufah was forced to flee her home when the Myanmar military unleashed a campaign of ethnic cleansing and mass rape. In Bangladesh, she found refuge but still faces many restrictions. Sitting in a shelter amid the sprawling refugee mega-camp, she told me, “Rohingya women are very strong, but we are not getting a chance.” Chekufah and her network are working to change that, mobilizing hundreds of women in the camps to carry out education, self-defense training, and other activities. They are working together to be heard in decision-making around camp management as well as on the international stage; working, as Chekufah put it in her own words, to allow “women to raise our voices ourselves.”
Chekufa is among hundreds of local Rohingya who are finding ways to empower each other.
Tenacious Activism in South Sudan
Devon Cone, Senior Advocate for Women and Girls
Over the course of my career, I have worked with refugees and displaced people in some of the most challenging crises, but the situation in South Sudan is particularly dramatic—with dire levels of poverty and political division, and an utter lack of infrastructure and services. Moreover, these conditions are far more extreme outside the capital city of Juba and in the more remote areas of the country, to which I recently traveled for Refugees International. Of greatest alarm to me was the status of women and girls. Women in South Sudan generally have little say in decision-making, and the levels of violence they face throughout their lives is staggering.
Refugees International Senior Advocate for Women and Girls Devon Cone interviews an internally displaced woman in South Sudan.
As I spent each day talking to internally displaced women and trying to determine how best to advocate for the safety of women and girls, I was a bit discouraged. That was until I met a young South Sudanese woman in Juba. A former refugee herself, she grew up in a camp in Uganda and returned to South Sudan to work on behalf of women and girls. She took it upon herself to travel throughout the country, connect with women and girls, listen to them, and learn about their needs. She did not wait for others, but rather started her own programs to help combat early marriage, teach women skills, and raise awareness about gender-based violence. I was inspired by this woman and her courage. Men threaten her, she is mocked, she is harassed, and she is excluded, but she told me that she will continue to fight for the rights and safety of South Sudanese women no matter what.
Working for the safety and rights of women and girls continues to be an uphill battle, but discouragement and despair dissipates when I think of the women in South Sudan taking great risks to tenaciously advocate for their rights and the rights of others.
Refugees Have a Seat at the Table
Mark Yarnell, Senior Advocate and UN Liaison
Normally, in conferences on refugees in places like Geneva or New York, there is a glaring absence of refugees themselves. It should go without saying that refugees should be included in decision-making about policies and programs that affect them, but that is usually not the case.
Fortunately, a group of refugee leaders are working to change that. When I was in Geneva earlier this year for preparatory meetings ahead of the first-ever Global Refugee Forum (GRF) that will take place in later this month, I had the opportunity to meet representatives of a group call the Network for Refugee Voices. The Network includes refugee leaders from around the world and their message is simple: refugees must have a prominent seat at the table if their interests are to be appropriately addressed. Refugees must be involved in the pursuit of policy decisions, and refugee involvement makes it more likely that such decisions will be smart, practical, and sustainable.
“Their message is simple: refugees must have a prominent seat at the table if their interests are to be appropriately addressed.”
There is still a lot of work to do, but the Network for Refugee Voices has made real headway in making sure that this has been a priority at the GRF.
Acts of Bravery and Creative Resilience
Sahar Atrache, Senior Advocate for the Middle East
In June, I traveled to southern Turkey along the border with Syria. My aim was to investigate the impact of a brutal military offensive that has caused a massive displacement in Idlib province in northwest Syria. Since the start of the Syrian conflict, the province’s population has doubled as it has become the last refuge for nearly 1.5 million Syrians displaced from other parts of the country.
“This is only one example of individuals who have courageously fought their own hardship and despair by helping alleviate the suffering of their communities. ”
I met with many brave Syrian activists and relief workers who are now living in Turkey. Their efforts to assist civilians in Idlib and bring attention to their plight are relentless. One relief group, Molhem, is named after a Syrian activist who was killed in 2012. Its founders sought to turn the loss of their friend into a constructive mission. The group relies on a vast network of volunteers to assist people in the most dangerous and hard-to-reach places in Idlib. Thanks to their innovative fundraising campaign, they were able to raise thousands of dollars for people affected by the military campaign.
This is only one example of individuals who have courageously fought their own hardship and despair by helping alleviate the suffering of their communities.
Unfortunately, civilians in Idlib continue to face daily displacement, death and destruction. It is time for their tragedy to end.
Good Neighbors on the U.S. Southern Border
Yael Schacher, Senior U.S. Advocate
The impact of the Trump administration’s policies at the border were obvious when I visited the Good Neighbor Settlement House in Brownsville, Texas, in late summer 2019. A few months earlier, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security began releasing asylum seeking families—with little planning and coordination—at the Brownsville bus station. The nearby Good Neighbor Settlement House began taking in more than a hundred asylum seekers a day and providing them with food, toiletries, clothes, and shelter for a day or two before sending them on to relatives. The shelter, which had previously focused on providing for the homeless and needy among Brownsville’s residents, galvanized to support the asylum seekers. Marianela, who helped run the program, refused to think about it as a zero-sum game that pitted locals against asylum seekers. Indeed, many people from the community sent in clothing donations for the asylum seekers, and a group of disabled young adults from Brownsville were given the rewarding jobs of assembling care packages for them.
The Refugees International team met volunteers at the Good Neighbor Settlement House who were making care packages for asylum seekers in need.
By the time I arrived in late August, the number of asylum seekers served by Good Neighbor Settlement House had dwindled to just a trickle as the U.S. government began returning most asylum-seeking families to Mexico. Marianela and her team had storerooms full of neatly organized clothes and supplies, while asylum seekers were living without these necessities a mile away, just across the border in Matamoros in an informal refugee tent encampment. So, Marianela lent her kitchen to volunteers who, on the day I visited, were packing up sandwiches to take over the border to feed the asylum seekers. At the same time, so many people have continued to donate clothes and to volunteer to cook meals that the settlement house has expanded its food and clothing programs for the homeless of Brownsville.
The response at Good Neighborhood House is emblematic of what is happening all along the border. Communities have stepped up to the challenge created by the administration’s cruel and changing policies; and they have responded with contrasting capacious warmth and accommodation that is inspiring.