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	War’s Human Cost: Population of displaced tops 50 million by UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)   20 June 2014   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.   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. These included 16.7 million refugees, 33.3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), and close to 1.2 million individuals whose asylum applications had not yet been adjudicated by the end of the reporting period.   “We are seeing here the immense costs of not ending wars, of failing to resolve or prevent conflict,” said High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres. “Peace is today dangerously in deficit. Humanitarians can help as a palliative, but political solutions are vitally needed. Without this, the alarming levels of conflict and the mass suffering that is reflected in these figures will continue.”   The global total of 51.2 million forcibly displaced represents a huge number of people in need of help, with implications both for foreign aid budgets in donor nations and the absorption and hosting capacities of countries on the front lines of refugee crises, says UNHCR.   “The international community has to overcome its differences and find solutions to the conflicts of today in South Sudan, Syria, Central African Republic and elsewhere. Non-traditional donors need to step up alongside traditional donors. As many people are forcibly displaced today as the entire populations of medium-to-large countries such as Colombia or Spain, South Africa or South Korea,” said Mr. Guterres.   The annual report – this year subtitled War’s Human Cost is based on data compiled by governments, non-governmental partner organizations, and from the agency’s own records – notes that the Syrian crisis, entering into its third year in 2013, was the primary cause of these outflows, as highlighted by two dramatic milestones.   In August, the one millionth Syrian refugee child was registered; only a few weeks later, UNHCR announced that the number of Syrian refugees had passed two million. “The Syrian Arab Republic had moved from being the world’s second largest refugee-hosting country to being its second largest refugee-producing country – within a span of just five years,” states the report.   The annual survey also notes that 3.5 million refugees, or one-third of the global total, were residing in countries covered by UNHCR’s Asia and Pacific region. Of these, more than 2.4 million were Afghans (69 per cent) in Pakistan and Iran. Sub-Saharan Africa was host to more than 2.9 million, or one-quarter of all refugees, primarily from Somalia (778,400), Sudan (605,400), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (470,300), the Central African Republic (251,900), and Eritrea (198,700).   “On World Refugee Day we honour the strength and resilience of the more than 50 million people around the world who have fled war, persecution and human rights abuses,” declared UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his message, in which he noted that last year alone, more than 10 million people were newly displaced; every 15 minutes, a family was forced into flight.   “Let us renew our commitment to end armed conflict, and to help the people who have been forced to flee their homes. Even one family torn apart by war is too many,” he said.   Echoing the call were the UN chief’s five Special Representatives in Central Africa, who issued a joint appeal to end violence in the region and encouraged the Governments to tackle the root causes of conflict and displacement.   Noting the report’s finding that in 2013, major new displacement was seen in Africa, especially in the Central African Republic and in South Sudan, they called on all Governments and parties in conflict in the region to cease all fighting and enable all refugees and displaced to return to their homes in safety and dignity.   http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home http://www.unhcr.org/pages/4ac9fdae6.html http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646c24e.html http://stories.unhcr.org/ http://reliefweb.int/updates?search=refugees http://www.msf.org/topics/refugee-idp http://www.un.org/apps/news/newsmakers.asp?NewsID=107 http://www.iom.int/cms/en/sites/iom/home/what-we-do/humanitarian-emergencies.html Visit the related web page
	Mass exodus as fighting in Iraq prompts one million to flee by Reuters, ICRC, Reliefweb, agencies   04-09-2014   Iraq: More than a million victims of fighting receive ICRC help   Geneva/Baghdad (ICRC) – Ongoing fighting in different parts of Iraq has caused the displacement of over 1.5 million people. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has delivered food, drinking water, other relief items and medical assistance to more than a million people since January, when the fighting started in Anbar province before spreading elsewhere.   "People who had to flee their homes have lost all their belongings and their means of earning a living. They do not have enough food, water or other basic necessities, and they have only limited access to health services," said Alienor Bernhard, deputy head of the ICRC delegation in Iraq. "In most places, their presence has put an additional strain on host communities and has outstripped the capacity of those communities to support them. We are continuing to provide relief for displaced people in all 14 provinces where they have sought refuge."   "In cities such as Dohuk, Sharia and Khanke, in the Kurdistan region, schools, empty half-built buildings and even underpasses are now occupied by displaced people," said Govinda Prasad, in charge of the ICRC"s distributions of food and other relief items. "In coordination with the authorities and local communities, the ICRC has provided food and other basic necessities for more than 320,000 displaced people in areas extending from Basrah in the south to Dohuk in the north."   The continuing fighting has also resulted in increased pressure on health-care facilities, with thousands of wounded or sick people requiring medical care. In coordination with the health ministry, the ICRC has delivered enough medicines and other medical supplies, such as wound-dressing materials and fluids, to meet the needs of more than 120,000 people.   Since the beginning of the year, the ICRC has provided clean drinking water for nearly 865,000 people, more than 200,000 of whom are displaced. "The ICRC is delivering drinking water by truck to displaced people in settlements such as Khanaqin in Diyala, and Khanke in Dohuk," said Sebastien Renou, an ICRC water engineer. "In addition, the upgrading of water facilities has enabled us to supply water to host communities that also benefits tens of thousands of other displaced people."   As fighting persists, the ICRC is concerned by reports of serious violations of international humanitarian law, and by the situation of increasing numbers of people being seized and held by parties to the conflict. It is reminding all parties involved in the hostilities of their obligation under international humanitarian law to treat persons deprived of liberty humanely, to spare civilians and civilian objects the effects of hostilities, and to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.   The wounded and the sick must be provided with appropriate medical care and granted prompt and safe access to health services. Medical facilities must be protected and respected, and every effort must be made to ensure that medical personnel can carry out their activities unhindered.   http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/news-release/2014/09-04-iraq-victims-fighting-receive-help.htm http://www.icrc.org/en/what-we-do/ensuring-economic-security http://childrenofsyria.info/winter/   Aug 2014   Impact of Iraq conflict on minorities ‘devastating and irreversible’ – UN rights experts.   Two United Nations human rights experts warned today that ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq are bearing the “devastating and irreversible” brunt of the conflict that has once again engulfed the country.   “I am gravely concerned about the physical safety of several minority groups in Iraq, including Christians, Shia – a minority in the North, Shabaks, Turkmen, Yazidis and others, who are being persecuted on the grounds of their religion and ethnicity,” said the Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Rita Izsák, in a joint press release with the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, Chaloka Beyani.   “Reliable information indicates that religious minorities are being targeted and their members subjected to abductions, killings or the confiscation of their property by extremist groups,” Ms. Izsák said.   The “Islamic State” (IS) and associated armed groups have taken control of several cities and regions in northern Iraq in recent weeks. They are accused of gross human rights violations, some of which may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, including targeting and killing civilians.   The experts noted that civilians in areas under the control of the Islamic State are reportedly required to adhere to a strict interpretation of Shari’a law or face death, irrespective of their religious backgrounds.   “In Mosul for instance, members of minorities were given an ultimatum that by 19 July, they should convert, pay a tax, leave the city, or face execution,” Ms. Izsák said. “Credible reports suggest that some members of the Yazidi and Shabak communities who refused to do so were taken before religious courts and later executed.”   Large numbers of Christians have already fled Mosul, including some 350 families who left on 19 July for northern Ninewa and Dohuk, which are under Kurdish control. According to sources, only a few Christians, who are extremely poor or unable to travel, remain in the city.   Echoing Ms. Izsák’s concerns, Mr. Beyani said that the ongoing conflict has already displaced some 1.2 million people, mostly minority members who have fled the northwest of Iraq.   “This huge displacement is turning into a humanitarian crisis,” he said. “History has shown that minority communities are particularly vulnerable to displacement. Special protection for them and other internally displaced people in Iraq is now vital.”   Those responsible of committing heinous human rights violations must be held accountable, the experts stressed, urging the Iraqi Government to do its utmost to protect the most vulnerable.   Ms. Izsák and Mr. Beyani, called on the international community to stand ready to provide all the required assistance and support, including humanitarian assistance, to stop the spiral of violence that threatens all Iraqis and to ensure the survival of its most vulnerable minorities.   http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=48418#.U-IUeICSwrw http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/HRCSpecialSessionIraq.aspx http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=14904&LangID=E http://reliefweb.int/report/iraq/un-declares-level-3-emergency-iraq-ensure-more-effective-humanitarian-response http://www.irinnews.org/report/100515/world-humanitarian-day-staying-safe http://www.minorityrights.org/12607/press-releases/iraqs-multiethnic-future-now-at-grave-risk-says-mrg.html http://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/press-release/leila-zerrougui-special-session-on-iraq/ http://www.unocha.org/top-stories/all-stories/results/taxonomy:94 http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=48980#.VC3Fzhb_J30   29 June 2014   UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed grave concern at the deepening crisis in Iraq and the rising number of civilian deaths and injuries, with over one million Iraqis having fled their homes due to the fighting.   The Secretary-General “is deeply troubled by persistent reports of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law taking place in Iraq”.   These include summary execution of captured soldiers and detainees, indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas, and the abduction and murder of members of ethnic and religious communities.   In a recently released report, the UN Assistance Mission in the country (UNAMI) and the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) cited alleged abuses by both the Iraqi Security Forces and the armed group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/ISIS). The militants have purportedly posted more than a dozen videos showing beheadings and shootings of hors combat soldiers and police officers, as well as apparent targeting of people based on their religion or ethnicity, including Shia and minority groups such as Turcomans, Shabak, Christians, and Yezidis.   Mr. Ban also urged authorities to hold accountable any members of the Iraqi Security Forces or local militias who may have committed violations of international humanitarian or human rights law.   “The Secretary-General calls on all parties to the conflict ensure that persecution of civilians based on their religion or ethnic background cease immediately,” his spokesperson said.   Mr. Ban added that all parties to the conflict – whether armed groups, ISIL, local militias or Iraqi Security Forces – have the legal obligation and moral responsibility to avoid and prevent violence against civilians and ensure that their humanitarian needs are addressed.   At least 1,300 people were killed in Iraq, and another 1,250 injured since 5 June in fighting in Nineveh, Salah al-Din and Diyala alone, according to UNAMI and OHCHR. At least 900 of the people killed were civilians.   In addition, an estimated 1.2 million Iraqis have been displaced by fighting, including from Anbar and Ninewa governorates, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).   20 June 2014   UN trying to step up aid to one million uprooted by Iraq insurgents.(Reuters)   The United Nations said it was expanding aid operations in Iraq to help 1 million people driven from their homes by fighting as Islamist militant forces have seized wide tracts of the country"s north and west this year.   Many families are living in the open, in urgent need of food, water, shelter and latrines, said Jacqueline Badcock, the United Nations resident and humanitarian coordinator in Iraq.   "Humanitarian agencies are rapidly scaling up in the face of this unfortunate challenge," she said in a statement appealing for access to thousands of displaced in areas held by armed factions including the radical Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL).   Insecurity and depleted fuel stocks are hampering efforts to deliver supplies, amid fears of outbreaks of measles and diarrhoeal diseases, U.N. aid agencies said.   Around 500,000 people who fled the northern city of Mosul after ISIL overran it 10 days ago have found refuge in a nearby Kurdish autonomous zone and adjoining areas in Nineveh province now largely under jihadi Islamist control.   "Right now it"s a chaotic situation, you"ve had very large numbers of people who have moved across. They are trying to find accommodation, trying to exist on the few funds they have and we are trying to get help to them," Adrian Edwards of the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR told a news briefing in Geneva.   "Clearly new displacement in this region which is under immense strain is the last thing that we need at the moment."   More than 2.8 million Syrian refugees have already flooded into neighbouring countries from their country"s three-year-old uprising and civil war, including nearly 225,000 into Iraq, according to the UNHCR.   UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay expressed extreme alarm at the dramatic deterioration of the situation in Iraq, amid reports of summary executions and extrajudicial killings, and the massive displacement of some half a million people, as the forces allied with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS), overran a succession of major towns and cities earlier in the week.   “The full extent of civilian casualties is not yet known,” Pillay said, “but reports suggest the number of people killed in recent days may run into the hundreds, and the number of wounded is said to be approaching 1,000.” She said she was deeply disturbed by reports that “ISlL fighters, including prisoners they had released from jails in Mosul and provided with arms, have been actively seeking out -- and in some cases killing -- soldiers, police and others, including civilians, whom they perceive as being associated with the Government. We have, for example, received reports of the summary executions of Iraqi army soldiers during the capture of Mosul, and of civilians on one particular street in Mosul City on 11 June.”   The UN human rights chief warned the parties to the conflict that they are obliged under international law to treat humanely members of armed forces who have laid down their arms, or are hors de combat. She also stressed that, under these circumstances, murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture constitute war crimes. They must also take all feasible precautions, in areas under their effective control, to spare civilians from the effects of hostilities, and to respect, protect and meet the basic needs of civilian populations.   “I am extremely concerned about the acute vulnerability of civilians caught in the cross-fire, or targeted in direct attacks by armed groups, or trapped in areas under the control of ISIL and their allies,” Pillay said. “And I am especially concerned about the risk to vulnerable groups, minorities, women and children.”   “I call for the immediate cessation of acts of violence and abuses committed against civilians in violation of applicable international humanitarian law, which governs the conduct of conflicts, and international human rights law which applies during time of war and peace,” the High Commissioner said.   “There will be particular scrutiny of the conduct of ISIL, given their well-documented record of committing grave international crimes in Syria,” she added, noting that the Commission of Inquiry on Syria has, as recently as March this year, accused ISIL of committing crimes against humanity, in addition to other gross human rights violations, in the Syrian provinces of Raqqa, Idlib and Aleppo.   Pillay also urged Government forces to exercise utmost restraint in their ongoing military operations, and to take measures to ensure that civilians are protected from violence. “The Government, as well as ISIL, is bound by international law to observe the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack,” she said. “All feasible precautions must be taken with the view of avoiding – and in any event minimizing – incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians and damage to civilian objects including vital infrastructure..”   http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/Media.aspx?IsMediaPage=true&LangID=E   June 12, 2014   Iraq: ISIS Advance Threatens Civilians. (Human Rights Watch)   (Baghdad) – The Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham (ISIS) has taken over many areas of Iraq, including parts of Mosul and towns in Salah al-Din province.   Human Rights Watch has previously documented crimes committed by ISIS in other areas of Iraq and Syria, including car and suicide bomb attacks in civilian areas, summary executions, torture in detention, discrimination against women, and destruction of religious property. Human Rights Watch has found that some of these acts may amount to crimes against humanity.   “The possibility that ISIS will repeat the atrocities it has committed in other parts of Iraq, and impose the same intolerant and abusive rule as it has in Syria, is deeply troubling,” said Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “But the Iraqi government needs to deal with the situation without the brutal tactics for which civilians elsewhere in the country have long been paying a heavy price.”   http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/06/12/iraq-isis-advance-threatens-civilians   11 June 2014   UNHCR responds to massive displacement of Iraqis from Mosul   The UN refugee agency said today it was immediately stepping up its aid efforts in Iraq in response to the new massive displacement of people from the northern Iraqi city of Mosul and other areas.   UNHCR protection teams have been on the ground to monitor the outflow and assist those in need, and urgent additional funding is being sought. One officer said UNHCR was working to provide shelter, protection and emergency items, including tents to some of the many thousands of people believed to have fled.   "The needs are immense," said Gemma Woods.   The exodus from Mosul, which began earlier this week, follows massive displacement this year in the western Iraqi governorate of Anbar, where fighting since January has forced some half-a-million people to flee the province or seek shelter in safer areas. Local authorities say that as a result of the new outflows from Mosul a further 300,000 additional people have arrived in the past days.   Earlier, UNHCR protection staff monitoring checkpoints between Ninewa governorate and the Kurdistan region, reported that many of those fleeing had no belongings and lacked money for housing, food, water or medical care. They arrive at checkpoints with no idea of where to go next, or how to pay expenses.   “The crisis in Iraq is escalating quickly. In some areas on the borders between Iraq and Kurdistan where newly displaced people are arriving, there are reports of unavailability of food in the shops. Meeting the food needs of the most vulnerable groups is a crucial step for WFP’s mission in the country,” said WFP Representative in Iraq Jane Pearce.   http://www.unhcr.org/53989c766.html http://reliefweb.int/report/iraq/aid-agencies-scramble-support-iraq-displaced http://www.trust.org/item/20140612164015-62jkz/?source=jtOtherNews3 http://www.irinnews.org/report/100209/aid-agencies-scramble-to-support-iraq-displaced http://www.unocha.org/top-stories/all-stories/results/taxonomy:94
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