Millions of lives at risk from “brutal” funding cuts, UN refugee chief says
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters Millions of lives are at risk from “brutal funding cuts” from donors, the UN refugee chief said on Thursday, warning that women refugees are already at greater risk of rape and that children are being pushed into trafficking or early marriage. “Brutal funding cuts in the humanitarian sector are putting millions of […]
UN refugee boss urges donors to fill gap left by Trump aid freeze
Brussels, Belgium Reuters The UN refugee agency has appealed to donors to bring forward planned payments after the Trump administration put hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of donations on hold as part of its foreign aid freeze, the organisation’s boss told Reuters. Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, said he had asked […]
Hope turns to regret among Syrians returning home from Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey/Aleppo, Syria Reuters Ahmed al-Sheikh’s excitement at returning to his homeland from neighbouring Turkey after the fall of Bashar al-Assad has turned to bitter disappointment at the grim living conditions in Syria after some 13 years of war. Sheikh is one of 35,000 Syrians who left Turkey for Syria full of hope in the […]
Nearly 30 per cent of Syrians want to go home, up from almost zero, UN refugee chief says
Damascus, Syria Reuters Almost 30 per cent of the millions of Syrian refugees living in Middle Eastern countries want to return home in the next year, following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, up from almost none last year, the head of the UN’s refugee agency said. The shift is based on an assessment done […]
European countries put Syrian asylum bids on hold after Assad’s fall
Berlin, Germany Reuters European countries put asylum applications from Syrians on hold until further notice on Monday after rebels seized the Syrian capital and President Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia following 13 years of civil war. The decision, which affects tens of thousands of open claims, reflects the rapidly changing political situation in Syria as […]
War in Lebanon: Mass displacement revives spectre of sectarian strife
TIMOUR AZHARI, of Reuters, reports on fears rising sectarian tensions could pose a threat to Lebanon’s stability amid the Israel-Hezbollah conflict…
UN refugee chief urges states to cut reliance on border controls even as displacement worsens
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters The head of the UN refugee agency warned on Monday that displacement crises in Lebanon and Sudan could worsen, but said tighter border measures could not be the only solution, calling them ineffective and sometimes unlawful. Addressing more than 100 diplomats and ministers in Geneva at UNHCR’s annual meeting, Filippo Grandi said […]
UN refugee chief says airstrikes in Lebanon have violated humanitarian law
Beirut, Lebanon Reuters The United Nations’ refugee chief Filippo Grandi said on Sunday that airstrikes in Lebanon had violated international humanitarian law by hitting civilian infrastructure and killing civilians, in reference to Israel’s bombardment of the country. “Unfortunately, many instances of violations of international humanitarian law in the way the airstrikes are conducted that have […]
UN refugee agency says record 117 million people forcibly displaced in 2023
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters The United Nations refugee agency on Thursday said the number of people forcibly displaced stood at a record 117.3 million as of the end of last year, warning that this figure could rise further without major global political changes. “These are refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced people, people being forced away by […]
Dozens of Palestinians killed in Gaza as Hamas official vows to “break” Israel
Gaza Reuters Israeli forces fought Palestinian militants in the north and centre of the Gaza Strip on Friday as Khaled Meshaal, a senior official in Gaza’s ruling Hamas movement, said its six-month-old battle with Israel would “break the enemy soon”. Most Israeli troops have been pulled out of the Palestinian enclave in preparation for an […]