Home › Blog › All ›

BLOG

Climate and Conflict in the Sahel
May 14, 2012 Mark Yarnell Africa, Climate Displacement, Cote d'Ivoire, Libya, Humanitarian Response, Protection & Security

The Sahel region of West Africa is facing a major food crisis for the third time in seven years. The region has suffered from poverty and vulnerability for generations, but now drought, poor harvests, high food prices, environmental degradation, and decreased remittances from Libya and Cote d’Ivoire are putting millions at risk.

Countering Climate Extremes Really Does Take a Village
May 11, 2012 Alice Thomas Climate Displacement, Americas, Asia

Newtok is a small Native American village on the northwestern coast of Alaska. Indigenous populations have inhabited Newtok for at least 2,000 years. But over the past two decades, unprecedented changes have taken place that threaten Newtok’s very existence.

Accelerated coastal erosion – exacerbated by thawing permafrost, declining sea ice protection, and warmer temperatures  – along with increased storm surges and salt water inundation of fresh water supplies, are making life here untenable. So the Newtok community has decided to move.

Displacement in the DRC: A Desperate Situation Getting Worse
May 04, 2012 Dara McLeod Africa, DR Congo, Humanitarian Response, Protection & Security

Human beings have a remarkable capacity to endure suffering. And perhaps nowhere in the world is this capacity more thoroughly tested than in the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

There is news today that more than 20,000 people have fled their homes in eastern Congo during the past few weeks. Last month, Congolese President Joseph Kabila announced he would try to arrest one of his generals, Bosco Ntaganda. Ntaganda is a former rebel commander who has been accused by the International Criminal Court of committing war crimes.

A Frustrated Council Puts Pressure on Sudans
May 03, 2012 Michelle Brown Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Protection & Security, Statelessness

The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Wednesday demanding that Sudan and South Sudan immediately stop fighting and conclude negotiations within three months on the issues of citizenship, oil revenue sharing, borders, and the status of Abyei. 

Sudan Clashes Have Huge Costs Beyond Battlefield
May 02, 2012 Sarnata Reynolds Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Humanitarian Response, Protection & Security, Statelessness

The recent conflict between Sudan and South Sudan has seen civilians in border areas subjected to brutal attacks by both sides. However, as I found while in South Sudan last week, the impact of this conflict goes far beyond the disputed areas of Heglig or Abyei, threatening many more lives.

Prior to the most recent round of fighting, millions of Sudanese on both sides of the border were already displaced and vulnerable - from the restive Sudanese states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan, to South Sudanese villages emptied by tribal conflicts.

Bureaucratic Mess in Juba Puts Millions on Path to Statelessness
April 26, 2012 Sarnata Reynolds Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Statelessness

The ongoing conflict between the Sudans affects daily life for everyone here, whether through fuel shortages or price inflation. But beyond the conflict zone itself, few have been more affected than the hundreds of thousands of southern Sudanese returning from the north.

Refugees International Roundtable on Climate Displacement
April 25, 2012 Dara McLeod Climate Displacement

With Robin Bronen, Executive Director,
Alaska Immigration Justice Project

Introduction by Alice Thomas, Climate Displacement
Program Manager, Refugees International

Wednesday, May 2, 2012
12:30 – 2:30 pm
Refugees International
2001 S Street NW, Suite 700
Washington DC (map)

Syria: What If They Can Never Go Home?
April 20, 2012 Daryl Grisgraber Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Humanitarian Response, Middle East, Women & Children

A coworker here at RI was recently talking about the emotional impact of being a refugee. There is of course the psychological trauma sparked by conflict or disaster, the fear and uncertainty about how to survive, and often depression or anxiety about the family, friends, or opportunities left behind. But this coworker also mentioned the emotional strength that’s required to face the future as a refugee.

Cartagena Diary, Pt. IV: 19 Years Too Many
April 18, 2012 Marc Hanson Colombia, Americas, Humanitarian Response

Editor's Note: RI Senior Advocate Marc Hanson has been in Cartagena, Colombia, for the Summit of the Americas. This is his final diary entry from the trip, but do check out his first, second, and third entries as well.

Burma: Look to the Locals
April 16, 2012 Michael Boyce Burma, Humanitarian Response, Asia

Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton unveiled the next steps America would take in its tit-for-tat rapprochement with Burma. Her announcement followed the (by most accounts) successful Burmese by-elections, in which Aung San Suu Kyi's once-banned political party won 43 of the 45 open seats.

Cartagena Diary, Pt. III: The Colombia Obama Won’t See
April 13, 2012 Marc Hanson Colombia, Americas, Humanitarian Response, Protection & Security

Editor's Note: RI Senior Advocate Marc Hanson is in Cartagena, Colombia, this week for the Summit of the Americas. Click here to read his final entry.

Cartagena Diary, Pt. II: Citizen Security Takes Center Stage
April 12, 2012 Marc Hanson Colombia, Americas, Humanitarian Response, Protection & Security

Editor's Note: RI Senior Advocate Marc Hanson is in Cartagena, Colombia, this week for the Summit of the Americas. He'll be recording his activities and impressions on our blog throughout the trip. Click here to read Part III.

Cartagena Diary, Pt. I: Food for Thought
April 11, 2012 Marc Hanson Climate Displacement, Colombia, Americas, Humanitarian Response, Protection & Security

Editor's Note: RI Senior Advocate Marc Hanson is in Cartagena, Colombia, this week for the Summit of the Americas. Click here to read his second entry.

Yesterday was consumed by flights (DC to Houston, Houston to Bogota, Bogota to Cartagena) and long delays at the airports in between. This provided plenty of time to occupy the mind with reading.

Nonprofits: Are the Numbers Stacked Against Us?
April 10, 2012 Garrett Bradford About RI

Every day is a busy one here at RI. It seems like there are always meetings to run to, little tasks to perform, and endless emails to answer.

So it’s a welcome change to be able to step back from the desk and really think about the big picture: Are we being as efficient as we can be? Are our messages getting to the people who need to hear them? And are we really capitalizing on the energy of our supporters – people like you!

Kuwait: Rearrests of Stateless a Big Step Backward
April 04, 2012 Sarnata Reynolds Kuwait, Middle East, Statelessness

In early March, the government of Kuwait was taking some positive steps. All stateless bidoun who had been arrested during and after December 2011/January 2012 gatherings were released on bond, while members of parliament were interrogating the prime minister over long-time ill treatment of the bidoun community. It also seemed that the government would finally provide nationality documents to 34,000 bidoun and begin adjudicating at least 80,000 other applications before the parliament’s Bidoun Committee.

Burma: For a Moment, Let's Just Be Happy
April 02, 2012 Michael Boyce Burma, Humanitarian Response, Asia, Protection & Security, Statelessness

Advocacy groups like RI are in the business of trying to make things better. One knock-on effect of that mission is that even when good things happen, we can't relax or rest on our laurels. Instead, we have to go back to work the next day and start pressing for something even better.

But I must confess that even though I work in advocacy, I get irritated by this tendency at times. Every so often, I wish that we could just stop for a moment and take pleasure in the fact that something has gotten better.

RI to Congress: Political Pressure Can Help Somalis
March 28, 2012 Michael Boyce Africa, Congress, Ethiopia - Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, Humanitarian Response, Protection & Security

Mark Yarnell, RI's advocate for the Horn of Africa, appeared on Capitol Hill following his recent mission to Kenya and Ethiopia. He told members of Congress that political leverage (not just aid money) is needed to ensure Somali refugees get the help they need.

As Mark told members of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the U.S. House of Representatives, "where we do have control, and where we do have access, it is our responsibility to ensure that the needs of the most vulnerable are being met."

Washington Circle Reviews Mideast Hot Spots
March 26, 2012 Adelaide Belk Iran, Kuwait, Lebanon, Syria, Humanitarian Response, Middle East, Protection & Security, About RI, Statelessness

On March 20th, longstanding members of the Washington Circle were joined by new friends and supporters at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Nearly 70 guests took time from their busy schedules to join us for a spring luncheon and briefings by RI Board Member and author Roya Hakakian and RI Statelessness Program Manager Sarnata Reynolds.

In DRC, Host Families on the Front Line
March 22, 2012 Peter Orr Africa, DR Congo, Humanitarian Response, Women & Children

Last week, my colleague Erin Weir and I travelled to Kalehe territory in South Kivu. In the village of Kambali, we spoke to host families and displaced people who fled fighting in January between two armed groups: the Raia Mutomboki and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).

A Life in the DRC – Madeleine’s Story
March 19, 2012 Dara McLeod Africa, DR Congo, Humanitarian Response, Protection & Security, Women & Children

This post originally appeared on The Hill's Congress Blog.

Driving from Rwanda to the Democratic Republic of Congo, I prepare myself for certain things. I know I will be confronted with extreme poverty. I know I will meet people who are facing hardships that would be unendurable to many. But what I wasn’t prepared for was the incredible beauty of the country.