Archive for June 21st, 2014

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21/06/2014

More War Refugees Today Than in World War II — 51 Million

Human Wrongs Watch

World Refugee Day is being marked by yet another sombre milestone in a year that has seen crisis after crisis force desperate people to flee their homes ahead of bullets and bombs: a new UN report reveals that the number of refugees, asylum-seekers and internally displaced people has, for the first time in the post-World War II era, exceeded 50 million people.*

UNHCR’s annual Global Trends report shows that the number of refugees, asylum-seekers, and internally displaced people worldwide has, for the first time in the post-World War II era, exceeded 50 million people. Photos: UNHCR/S. Sisosmack (background), UNHCR/O.Pain (1st), UNHCR/J. Tanner (2nd), UNHCR/S. Rich (3rd), UNHCR/F. Noy (4th)

Photos: UNHCR/S. Sisosmack (background), UNHCR/O.Pain (1st), UNHCR/J. Tanner (2nd), UNHCR/S. Rich (3rd), UNHCR/F. Noy (4th)

The annual global trends report by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), states that even as the war in Syria continued to grind on – driving 9 million people from their homes by the end of last year – millions of individuals were forcibly displaced in other parts of the world, notably in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Mali, and the border area between South Sudan and Sudan. 

By the end of 2013, an estimated 51.2 million people worldwide were considered to be forcibly displaced due to persecution, conflict, generalized violence, or human rights violations.

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Posted in Africa, Asia, Latin America & Caribbean, Middle East, Others-USA-Europe-etc., The Peoples, War Lords | 4 Comments »

21/06/2014

One Million People, in Particular Children, Displaced in "Liberated" Iraq

Human Wrongs Watch

Senior United Nations officials on 20 June 2014 expressed deep concern about the humanitarian situation of the estimated one million people displaced so far this year in Iraq, particularly children, who are reportedly now being recruited and used by militias on all sides.
Children in the Khazar IDP camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Photo: UNAMI

Children in the Khazar IDP camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Photo: UNAMI

“We have received worrisome information that children are taking part in hostilities,” said the Special Representative of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui.

Her office on 20 June 2014 confirmed that incidents of underage boys being armed, manning checkpoints, and in some cases used as suicide bombers, have been documented.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and affiliated organizations are listed in the annexes of the Secretary-General’s annual report on children and armed conflict for recruitment and use of children, killing and maiming of children, and attacks on schools and hospitals in Iraq. In 2013, three children were killed every other day in attacks, shelling, or in cross-fire, more than double the number of children killed and maimed in 2012.

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Posted in Middle East, Others-USA-Europe-etc., The Peoples, War Lords | 1 Comment »

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