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Our Successes

  • Colombia

    As a result of our advocacy on behalf of the millions of people who have been displaced by the conflict in Colombia, in 2009 the U.S. Congress increased funding for Colombian refugees in nearby countries. This included support for Ecuador’s Enhanced Registration Process, a key component of that country’s refugee policy reform.

  • Iraq

    In line with our recommendations, in 2009 the U.S. provided substantial funding to the UN Refugee Agency’s Iraq programs and supported programs that prevent and respond to violence against displaced women. The U.S. also continued its resettlement program, admitting over 18,800 Iraqis last year.

  • Iraq

    Refugees International led the call to increase assistance to displaced Iraqis and in 2009 the House of Representatives passed legislation calling for stronger policies to protect and assist displaced Iraqis and to encourage the Government of Iraq to actively address the problem.

  • Sudan

    In 2009, Congress appropriated $296 million to Sudan and directed the State Department to prioritize funding for projects in south Sudan in support of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

  • Sudan

    For the last few years, Refugees International has been one of the few organizations calling on policy makers to address the rising tensions in south Sudan and to support the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended 22 years of war. Throughout 2009, more voices echoed our call and U.S. policy makers finally responded. The Obama Administration released its new policy on Sudan, and outlined the implementation of the peace agreement as one of three strategic objectives.

  • Burma

    Throughout 2009, RI met actively with State Department officials and Congressional appropriators to encourage greater aid for the Burmese people. Because of our leadership on this issue, Congress provided some $36 million for democracy and humanitarian programs largely inside Burma, a major shift in U.S. policy that had previously limited the amount of humanitarian funding available for people inside Burma.

  • DR Congo

    In 2009, the UN Security Council followed our recommendations and demanded that all human rights violations committed by the Congolese army be “thoroughly investigated” and that “an appropriate mechanism” be established to assess the impact of UN peacekeeping support to the Congolese army.

  • DR Congo

    Refugees International traveled to eastern Congo three times in 2009 where two million people have been displaced by ongoing violence. After we reached out to top U.S. and UN officials with our findings, more aid was delivered to displaced people in remote and neglected regions in eastern Congo and UN peacekeepers began more effectively protecting civilians from attacks.

  • Pakistan

    The UN followed our recommendations to improve the staffing and coordination of aid delivery and established a presence for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the aftermath of the rising numbers of displaced Pakistanis in 2009. The UN also appointed a Special Envoy to coordinate aid programs by the Pakistani government and aid agencies. Both actions helped ensure that aid programs reach the most vulnerable people.

  • Pakistan

    In 2009, Refugees International staff met directly with the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, who soon after our meeting, disbursed funds to distribute relief items for displaced Pakistanis who had fled their homes following military operations launched by the Pakistani government against Taliban insurgents.

  • Colombia
    In 2008, after Refugees International's ongoing calls for increased attention to the humanitarian crisis in Colombia, Congress increased emergency relief funding for the U.S. State Department's refugee bureau's programs in Colombia from $1.5 million to $5.6 million.
  • Sudan
    In 2008, after the U.S. Office for Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) threatened to withdraw from south Sudan, Refugees International called on the agency to continue its work and argued that humanitarian funding levels were still needed to respond to ongoing emergency needs. As a result, OFDA reversed course and developed a three-year plan to provide assistance in the region.
  • Sudan
    In 2008, Refugees International called for increased funding to help the fledgling Government of Southern Sudan support  displaced people who had returned to southern Sudan to rebuild their lives. Soon after, the US Agency for International Development provided $34.5 million for the "BRIDGE" (Building Responsibility for the Delivery of Government Services) program, which includes funds to establish livelihoods for people returning home and to build the capacity of the state and county governments.
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
    In 2008, Refugees International called on the UN and international aid agencies to work locally with internally displaced people in eastern DR Congo to develop community-level projects. As a result, the UN Refugee Agency launched an appeal in June for partner organizations to implement new activities aimed at increasing economic independence for displaced people and promoting reconciliation for returnees.
  • Afghanistan
    Three months after Refugees International called for improved coordination of humanitarian assistance programs in Afghanistan in July 2008, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs announced it would establish a presence in the country. In addition to plans for a main office in Kabul, the agency plans to set up four regional offices throughout the country.
  • Burma
    In 2008, the U.S. provided $50 million in assistance after Cyclone Nargis struck the Irrawaddy Delta -- killing 140,000 and affecting 2.4 million others. This was a tremendous increase over the U.S. government’s previous $3 million budget for aid to Burmese people inside the country. Refugees International slowly began to change the U.S. government’s stance against funding humanitarian aid programs inside Burma after two years of being one of the few organizations calling for increased assistance.
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
    In 2008, after RI called for more funding for education for internally displaced persons in the DR Congo, funding from donor governments for education programs was significantly increased to $1,004,000.
  • South Sudan
    In 2006, the UN Refugee Angency overhauled the management of its program in south Sudan after Refugees International called attention to the agency's lack of leadership in helping millions of people return home.
  • Burma
    In 2006, after Refugees International released a groundbreaking report calling for more humanitarian aid inside Burma, the US State Department's refugee bureau funded projects inside Burma for the first time.  Refugees International also urged the UN Security Council to address this crisis, and in an unparalleled action, the UN Security Council voted Burma onto its formal agenda with refugees being cited as a principal factor in the decision.
  • Northern Uganda
    In 2006, after Refugees International spent years calling on the UN to address the 20-year-old conflict in northern Uganda, the Security Council appointed a special envoy who succeeded in getting warring parties to begin peace negotiations.