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Our Successes

  • 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.
  • Darfur, Sudan
    In 2006, when Refugees International highlighted gaps in assistance to Darfuri refugees in Chad, the UN Refugee Agency and UNICEF improved their water and sanitation programs in Chad.  Refugees International also worked with members of Congress to generate $173 million for peacekeepers in Darfur and other parts of the world.
  • Iraqi Refugee Resettlement
    A campaign by Refugees International and other organizations led the U.S. State department to increase the resettlement of Iraqi refugees from 200 in 2006 to 13,823 Iraqis in 2008.
  • Iraqi Refugees
    After ongoing pressure from Refugees International, the U.S. State Department increased its assistance for Iraqi refugees from $43 million in 2006 to $398 million in 2008.
  • Palestinian Refugees in Iraq
    In July 2008, Refugees International stopped the resettlement to Sudan of 3,000 Palestinians stranded between Iraq and Syria when we issued a press release calling attention to this decision by the UN Refugee Agency, the Palestinian Liberation Organization and Sudan.
  • Statelessness
    In June 2008, Reps. Sheila Jackson-Lee and Diane Watson introduced the first-ever piece of legislation in the U.S. Congress that urges efforts to prevent and reduce statelessness. The new bill would increase U.S. efforts to encourage states to recognize people who have no nationality where they live. It requires the President to report on the extent of statelessness and directs the Secretary of State to increase personnel and resources dedicated to the prevention and resolution of statelessness.
  • Sudan
    In 2007, Refugees International's report, Laws Without Justice, spotlighted needed legal reforms to reduce sexual violence in Sudan. As a result, Congress unanimously passed a resolution calling on President Bush and the international community to respond to and prevent violence against women in the region.
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
    In 2007, tens of thousands of vulnerable internally displaced Congolese received increased assistance after RI urged non-governmental organizations to ramp up their relief efforts in North Kivu.
  • Central African Republic
    In 2007, after RI called attention to 200,000 people displaced by conflict in the northwest Central African Republic, the number of aid agencies operating in this neglected region rose from 5 to 19.
  • Burma
    In 2007, the US State Department increased funding from $4 million to $7 million for Thai-based agencies to provide food, medicine and other aid to displaced people inside Burma after RI called attention to the humanitarian crisis in the country.
  • Darfur
    In 2007, after RI met with Congressional and Bush Administration officials to urge increased funding for the joint UN-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur, Congress authorized a major funding increase of $550 million for the force.
  • Iraq and the Middle East
    In 2007, Refugees International’s campaign to highlight the needs of Iraqi refugees led the UN Refugee Agency to double its budget in the region from $63 million to $123 million.
  • Colombia
    In 2007, RI urged Congress to increase socio-economic assistance over military support in its foreign assistance package to Colombia. As a result, assistance for social and economic programs rose from 18% to 35% -- an increase of $196 million. Congress also passed a resolution calling 2007 the Year of the Rights of Internally Displaced Persons in Colombia.
  • Bangladesh
    In September 2007, the Bangladeshi interim government announced its decision to grant citizenship to stateless Biharis born after 1971. For almost two years, RI has been calling for citizenship for more than 250,000 Biharis who live in 66 camps throughout the country and are locked out of job and education opportunities.