Libya & Middle East refugee crisis

Updates and tweets from AlertNet and humanitarian agencies on displacement throughout Libya and the Middle East

3rd & 7 37yd

In Liberia, Chad close to 450,000 forgotten refugees remain stranded
by Concern Worldwide

NEW YORK (June 20, 2011)— Their story never really made the headlines and was effectively forgotten with the eruption of the Arab Spring and the conflict in Libya—but the plight of refugees from Ivory Coast in Liberia is grave.

Concern Worldwide, the international humanitarian organization, responded last winter when families fleeing the post-election violence in Ivory Coast began pouring into Liberia by the thousands on a daily basis.

To mark the 2011 World Refugee Day, Concern calls particular attention to the 100,000 Ivory Coast refugees who fled to Liberia and are now living in temporary sites; and to the plight of 81,000 refugees who have fled into Chad driven out by conflict in the Central African Republic (CAR). Their exodus began in 2003 and barely registered any coverage at all. Conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan has driven close to 270,000 Sudanese refugees into Chad—and the imminent secession of South Sudan might trigger another exodus.

“The international aid community calls it ‘the silent emergency,’” said Paul O’Brien, Executive Overseas Director of Concern Worldwide, speaking of the situation in Liberia. “Especially since a measure of calm has returned to Ivory Coast, the world is simply looking the other way,” he said.

Read more from Concern's article In Liberia, Chad close to 450,000 forgotten refugees remain stranded

by Natasha Elkington 6/20/2011 11:59:33 AM
Nice slideshow from the Guardian illustrating this year's U.N. report on refugees
www.guardian.co.uk

by Maria Caspani 6/20/2011 2:23:40 PM
More mass protests in Syria (Reuters) - Mass demonstrations continue in Syria after Assad's pledged reforms have not yielded change

by Shanshan Chen 6/22/2011 2:14:28 PM
Water shortages, protests in Yemen (Reuters) - The calls for a new regime continue in Yemen as months of demonstrations have left many without water and electricity

by Shanshan Chen 6/22/2011 2:18:02 PM
@theIRC in #Chad continues to assist migrants fleeing #Libya www.rescue.org

by Maria Caspani 6/22/2011 2:25:48 PM
Chadian migrant workers fleeing from Libya access water at a well in Zourke, Chad, one of the first villages they reach, upon entering Chad. The International Organization for Migration has installed storage tanks and a water pump to increase access for the migrant population.

by Craig Murphy (IOM) 6/24/2011 7:20:57 AM
Chad: Improvements in security allow for the return of some IDPs
By the International Displacement Monitoring Centre

As of June 2011, there were 131,000 IDPs living in 38 IDP camps in eastern Chad. The majority of them had limited access to livelihoods and continued to rely on protection and assistance from international humanitarian organisations. No new internal displacements were reported in 2010 or in the first five months of 2011.

After the withdrawal of UN peacekeeping troops in December 2010, the Chadian government took responsibility for the protection of civilians in conflict-affected areas. It normalised relations with the government of Sudan and established with Sudan a joint military force to patrol and monitor their shared border. The joint border force has been credited with improving security in some areas.

Read more from this article Chad: Improvements in security allow for the return of some IDPs
By the International Displacement Monitoring Centre

As of June 2011, there were 131,000 IDPs living in 38 IDP camps in eastern Chad. The majority of them had limited access to livelihoods and continued to rely on protection and assistance from international humanitarian organisations. No new internal displacements were reported in 2010 or in the first five months of 2011.

After the withdrawal of UN peacekeeping troops in December 2010, the Chadian government took responsibility for the protection of civilians in conflict-affected areas. It normalised relations with the government of Sudan and established with Sudan a joint military force to patrol and monitor their shared border. The joint border force has been credited with improving security in some areas.

Read more from this article www.trust.org

by Maria Caspani 6/24/2011 9:31:24 AM
Tunisia: We organized a training on key messages regarding Gender-based Violence for the psychosocial team of the Tunisian Reproductive Health Association, one of UNFPA's implementing partners in Tatouine and Remada.

by UNFPA 6/24/2011 7:43:28 PM
Mariam, her young baby and husband, participated in UNFPA's supported vaccination campaign in Choucha camp, Tunisia.

by UNFPA 6/24/2011 7:46:31 PM
Zourke is the first stop in Chad for many Chadians escaping from Libya. Trucks travel long distances, passing through Niger to avoid mined roads, before reaching Zourke. The International Organization for Migration has a team based in Zourke, which is providing assistance to migrants who rest and recover, before continuing south to Faya. In this photo, a group of migrants have just arrived and are climbing down from their truck in the background.

by Craig Murphy (IOM) 6/29/2011 3:12:33 PM
Overnight Egypt clashes continue (REUTERS) - Clashes between protesters and police continue after sunrise in Cairo, with dozens injured after both sides hurled stones at each otherClashes between protesters and police continue after sunrise in Cairo, with dozens injured after both sides hurled stones at each other

by Shanshan Chen 6/29/2011 4:35:18 PM
Libyans await Gaddafi arrest (REUTERS) - Libyans await International Criminal Court's request for arrest warrant for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi

by Shanshan Chen 6/29/2011 4:38:16 PM
Libyan families reunite (REUTERS) - Around 100 people arrive in Tripoli from Benghazi on a Red Cross ship to reunite with their families

by Shanshan Chen 6/29/2011 4:41:09 PM
The public health situation in Eastern Libya is very critical. There is a serious lack of vaccines and drug supplies. No infection disease surveillance system is in place, and the lack of fuel is affecting electricity and water supplies. If fuel shortages continue, the whole of Libya will not have water to drink.

by UNFPA 6/29/2011 7:50:31 PM
In a briefing paper released today, Medicins Sans Frontieres highlights the consequences of poor reception conditions and insufficient protection in countries where people fleeing the Libya conflict have sought safety.

For more information about the report, called "From a Rock to a Hard Place: The Neglected Victims of the Conflict in Libya", read the news release on AlertNet.

www.trust.org

by Megan Rowling 6/30/2011 4:09:13 PM
Interesting piece from The Atlantic magazine - In Tunisia, Nations Compete to Aid Libyan Refugees www.theatlantic.com

by Maria Caspani 7/8/2011 10:07:05 AM