UNHCR chief warns Security Council of “terrifying” situation for Syria

(GENEVA) April 18, 2013 – UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres, warned the United Nations Security Council today that without an end to the fighting soon, almost half of Syria’s 20.8 million people could be in need of humanitarian help by the end of this year.

In an address to the Council by video-link from Geneva, Guterres said 400,000 refugees had fled Syria in the last seven weeks, bringing the population of Syrians registered as refugees or waiting to be registered to 1,367,413. If current trends continue, he said, then by the end of the year there may be up to 3.5 million Syrians refugees, together with 6.5 million people inside Syria who may be in need of help.

“These figures are terrifying,” he said. “This is not just frightening, it risks becoming simply unsustainable. There is no way to adequately respond to the enormous humanitarian needs these figures represent. And it is difficult to imagine how a nation can endure so much suffering.

“I know that, as High Commissioner for Refugees, I should confine my remarks to the scope of my mandate,” he added. “But as a citizen of the world, I cannot refrain from asking: Isn’t there any way to stop this fighting, to open the door for a political solution?”

NGO alliance warns sequestration cuts will cost lives

WASHINGTON (March 1, 2013) – NGO alliance InterAction urged members of Congress and the administration to restore support for life-saving foreign assistance programs in continued budget negotiations, warning that sequestration cuts that take effect today will cost lives.

Under sequestration, programs that provide food aid, support for refugees, HIV/AIDS treatment, primary school education and other poverty-focused and humanitarian assistance will be cut by approximately 5.3 percent – a move that not only risks lives, but turns back the clock on years of investment and progress, said Samuel A. Worthington, president and CEO of InterAction.

“These cuts to foreign assistance programs, which make up less than 1 percent of the budget, are not going to address the federal deficit,” Worthington said. “But they will translate into real human suffering, at a time when crises in Syria, Mali, Sudan and elsewhere desperately need our attention. The U.S. government would be hard-pressed to respond to any unexpected crises that might erupt during the 2013 fiscal year.”

More people are displaced around the world by conflict now than at any other point in the last 15 years. In Syria, one in five people needs food, heat and other humanitarian assistance as the situation continues to deteriorate and the number of refugees in neighboring countries nears one million, according to the United Nations.

The sequestration cuts also mean:

•   2.1 million fewer people would have access reduced or denied to lifesaving food aid.

• 605,625 fewer children who will receive nutritional interventions designed to save their lives and help prevent the irreversible damage to their brains and bodies caused by malnutrition.

• 1.2 million fewer insecticide-treated mosquito nets will be procured, leading to over 3,200 deaths due to malaria; 2 million fewer people will receive treatment.

• 67,200 fewer HIV-positive pregnant women will receive services to prevent mother-to-child transmission, leading to nearly 12,800 infants being infected with HIV.

“Congress needs to take the responsible path here. People’s lives depend on it, both here and abroad,” Worthington said.

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Jesuit Refugee Service/USA is a member of InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S.-based nongovernmental international organizations, with more than 190 members. Our members operate in every developing country, working with local communities to overcome poverty and suffering by helping to improve their quality of life. Visit www.interaction.org.

U.S. NGOs urge administration and Congress to increase humanitarian funding

WASHINGTON (Feb. 21, 2013) – Current funding levels for Fiscal Year 2013 for international humanitarian assistance are insufficient to meet escalating humanitarian needs, said leading NGOs in letters sent this week to U.S. lawmakers and the administration.

“With more people displaced by conflict around the world than at any other point in the last 15 years, we simply cannot afford to roll back our humanitarian assistance programs now,” said Samuel A. Worthington, president and CEO of InterAction. “As the administration continues to negotiate the continuing resolution and sequestration with Congress, it is critical that humanitarian accounts are not only protected, but increased. Without additional funding, U.S. agencies that oversee humanitarian response may be put in the impossible position of having to choose between saving lives in one country over another,” added Worthington.

Syria continues to descend into chaos, reaching new depths of human suffering as more communities are uprooted and displaced. As of this month, nearly 770,000 people have poured into five neighboring countries, with the total expected to rise to over one million by June. This is up from 70,000 refugees last May.

Lanzamiento de la Conmemoración del 12 de Febrero, Día de la Mano Roja

¡PARE! NO MÁS USO Y RECLUTAMIENTO DE NIÑOS, NIÑAS Y ADOLESCENTES EN LA GUERRA

Bogotá, 7 de febrero de 2013. El Servicio Jesuita a Refugiados (SJR) en Colombia lanza este año las actividades de conmemoración del 12 de febrero, Día de la Mano Roja, con el propósito de manifestar rechazo al reclutamiento y uso de niños, niñas y adolescentes en las guerras y conflictos armados.

Según Naciones Unidas, hay más de 250.000 niños y niñas (cifra de 2007) que están siendo utilizados como soldados, en países como Afganistán, Uganda, Iraq, Israel, Somalia y Colombia.

A pesar de las distintas luchas y campañas que se vienen realizando cada año contra la vinculación de menores a conflictos armados, ejércitos oficiales e ilegales continúan reclutando niños y niñas en sus filas, tanto de manera forzada como voluntaria, obligándolos a realizar tareas peligrosas que vulneran sus derechos fundamentales como vivienda, salud, educación, recreación, etc., y ocasionando en ellos y ellas traumas trascendentales en su desarrollo emocional, psicológico y de relaciones interpersonales entre otras.

La hospitalidad no ha sido siempre la respuesta al clamor de los migrantes haitianos

(Bogotá) 4 de febrero de 2012. A comienzos de este nuevo año, del norte al sur del continente americano los migrantes forzados haitianos buscan cielos menos inclementes que su país de origen, continuando su peregrinación por tierra, mar o aire.

Sin embargo, la hospitalidad no ha sido siempre la respuesta de los Estados de llegada a su clamor, al tocar las puertas de las tierras, las fronteras o los mares adonde acuden.

Algunos Estados les cierran la puerta y otros los repatrían a su país de origen, cuando dichos migrantes huyen de él a causa de la agudización de la crisis humanitaria y la estagnación del proceso de reconstrucción tras el terremoto del 12 de enero de 2010.

A continuación un panorama de la situación migratoria de los migrantes haitianos en el continente, a inicios de este nuevo año….

NGOs condemn attacks on health workers in Pakistan

WASHINGTON (Dec. 19, 2012) – The largest alliance of U.S.-based international NGOs strongly condemns the attacks this week against health workers in Pakistan, who were targeted for their efforts to help to eradicate polio in the country.

“These attacks against frontline health workers are senseless, cruel and counter-productive. We are deeply concerned about the safety of these health workers, whose only mandate is to eradicate polio and whose mission is purely humanitarian in nature,” said Samuel A. Worthington, president and CEO of InterAction.

“Such attacks are not only a tragedy, but also a major setback in global efforts to eradicate polio in Pakistan – one of only three countries in the world where cases of the disease are still being reported,” added Worthington.

Humanitarian workers have been targets of violence in Pakistan and have been under increased suspicion following reports last year that the CIA staged an immunization campaign in order to gather information for counter-terrorism purposes.

“In order for health workers to deliver vital services, there needs to be mutual trust with the communities they serve. Any use of irresponsible tactics violates international humanitarian principles,” said Worthington.

InterAction wrote to then CIA director, General David Petraeus, in February to stress that any efforts undermining the neutrality of humanitarian work would have dramatic repercussions and must cease immediately.

Jesuit Refugee Service/USA is a member of InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S.-based nongovernmental international organizations, with more than 190 members. Our members operate in every developing country, working with local communities to overcome poverty and suffering by helping to improve their quality of life.  To learn more visit our website. 

Secretary Clinton praises $1 billion hunger pledge by InterAction members

(New York) September 27, 2012 — In a massive attempt to tackle global hunger, leading U.S.-based international NGOs will spend more than $1 billion in private funds over the next three years on agriculture, food and nutrition programs, announced  U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and NGO alliance InterAction on Thursday.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (State Dept. photo)

“InterAction’s members are at the forefront of the global fight against hunger and poor nutrition.  They work alongside local communities to help people become more self-sufficient. Their efforts complement U.S. government programs, such as Feed the Future,” said Samuel A. Worthington, president and CEO of InterAction.

Worthington was speaking on Thursday at an event held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where Clinton praised the work of civil society organizations, including members of InterAction.

Clinton said: “Today, I am pleased to announce a new commitment by civil society groups. InterAction, an alliance of 198 U.S.-based organizations—and Sam Worthington, its president, is here today—is pledging more than $1 billion of private, non-governmental funds over the next three years to improve food security and nutrition worldwide.

Cluster bomb ban movement meets in Oslo

(Oslo) September 14, 2012 —  More than 100 governments gathered in the Norwegian capital to report on how they are meeting their commitments to eradicate cluster munitions and prevent them causing any further harm.

Around 30 states that have yet to join the lifesaving 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of the weapon will take part in the conference, showing the power and importance of the treaty even for countries not yet on board.

Amongst these are China, which continues to produce cluster bombs, Libya, where forces loyal to Gaddafi used cluster bombs last year and countries contaminated by unexploded cluster bombs including Cambodia, Serbia, Tajikistan and Vietnam.

The importance of this conference is further underscored by credible but as yet unconfirmed allegations of use of cluster bombs in both Syria and Sudan earlier this year. 

“In the two years since this treaty became binding international law there has been remarkable progress in eliminating cluster munitions, but too many countries still remain outside the ban,” said Laura Cheeseman, director of the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC).

“We sincerely hope that the presence of a large number of states that have not yet joined the treaty means they recognize the ban is the only way to stop the harm caused by cluster bombs, and that they will announce their plans to join it as soon as possible,” Cheeseman added. 

The Oslo Process to ban cluster munitions was launched six years ago in response to the indiscriminate impact these weapons have on civilians at the time of use and long after conflicts end.

“In a very short period of time cluster munitions have gone from being strongly defended as essential for national security to being considered completely unacceptable for use by anyone,” said Steve Goose, chair of the Cluster Munition Coalition. “The global stigma against these weapons is clearly strong, and growing stronger,” he added.

Figures released last week from the CMC’s annual Cluster Munition Monitor report show rapid progress is being made by countries that have joined the ban treaty, most notably the destruction of cluster munition stockpiles way ahead of the treaty’s eight-year deadline. The report shows that States Parties have already destroyed 750,000 cluster munitions containing 85 million submunitions.

The Third Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions took place in Oslo from 11-14 September 2012.  A total of 111 countries have joined the Convention, including 75 States Parties and 36 signatories that still have to ratify.

 www.stopclustermunitions.org

Impressive Progress on Total Ban on Cluster Bombs

Rapid destruction of stockpiles is saving lives

(London) Sepetember 6, 2012 —  Governments that have joined the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions have destroyed nearly 750,000 cluster munitions containing 85 million submunitions to date, according to Cluster Munition Monitor 2012, a global report released today in London.

“The impressive number of stockpiled cluster bombs destroyed under the Convention on Cluster Munitions demonstrates just how committed governments are to rapidly implementing this treaty,” said Mary Wareham of Human Rights Watch, final editor of Cluster Munition Monitor 2012.  “It is proving to be a milestone in humanitarian disarmament diplomacy, and the hold-out states that have not yet joined need to get on the right side of history,” Wareham said.

Cluster Munition Monitor 2012 is being launched by the international Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) in advance of the convention’s Third Meeting of States Parties, which opens in Oslo, Norway on Tuesday, 11 September. A total of 111 countries have joined the Convention, of which 75 have ratified or acceded, becoming full States Parties.

The report cites the serious allegations of new use of cluster munitions in Syria and Sudan as the most disturbing developments of the year. The allegations have not yet been confirmed, but are considered credible by the Monitor. Neither state has joined the ban convention.

The Convention on Cluster Munitions, which entered into force on 1 August 2010, comprehensively prohibits the use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of cluster munitions. It also requires destruction of stockpiled cluster munitions within eight years, clearance of cluster munition remnants within 10 years, and assistance to victims, including those killed or injured by submunitions as well as their families and affected communities. 

UPS & NGO partners help curb cholera crisis in Mali

 

 

 

 

(Washington, D.C.)  August 16, 2012 ― Humanitarian groups are increasing their efforts to curb a recent outbreak of cholera in Mali, an area already devastated by drought, fighting, and food shortages.

The onset of the rainy season and the existing humanitarian crisis in northern Mali has exacerbated the situation. As part of the emergency response, a UPS chartered plane headed to Bamako, Mali, today from Frankfurt, Germany.  The flight was loaded with 156,394 pounds of relief supplies, including:

• AmeriCares’ water purification supplies will provide 25,000 people with clean water, and emergency medical aid that will help treat 15,000 people in Mali.

• UNICEF’s water purification kits will serve 2,640 families, while oral rehydration salts will help 2 million people.  Medical kits will also cover the needs of 10,000 people for a month.

•  Shelterbox’s 497 tents will protect 497 families in Niger.

• High energy biscuits will feed 39,000 malnourished children for a month in CARE’s program in Mali.

“We must do everything we can to try to curb the further spread of cholera in northern Mali and this latest shipment will help reach that goal,” said Samuel A. Worthington, president and CEO of InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S.-based international NGOs. “InterAction members are grateful for the support given to us by partners such as UPS to respond to this crisis,” he added.

“When a humanitarian crisis occurs, logistics immediately becomes key to saving lives. This is the third movement of critical relief supplies to the Sahel region of Africa that UPS has been involved in since April as there’s a lot of need,” said Dan Brutto, president of UPS International. “UPS’s role has been to utilize our capabilities to efficiently deliver our NGO partners’ supplies by consolidating them and we’re honored to be able to help provide our expertise.”