UNHCR stepping in as Benin flood impact grows
Briefing Notes, 22 October 2010
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 22 October 2010, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
UNHCR is expecting to begin an emergency airlift to Benin in the next days amid the floods there which according to government and UN estimates are now affecting some 680,000 people.
While our normal work in Benin is in relation to the refugee and asylum-seeking population of some 7,300 people, we have been called upon to help with the emergency shelter needs of some of the homeless people in southern parts of the country where we have a presence.
As of today the focus is on making arrangements for the reception, storage and distribution of our relief items. We plan to initially airlift some 3000 tents from our emergency stockpile in Copenhagen. We have already been providing tents and mosquito nets from our more limited stockpiles in the region. We are also providing logistical support to our partners for their transportation needs while reinforcing our staff presence.
Of clear concern to all of us is the rising number of people who are being affected by these floods. Seasonal heavy rains have been hitting West Africa for several months and normally last until November, however what has happened this year goes well beyond normal flooding for Benin. Fifty-five out of the country's 77 districts are affected. Weather forecasts this morning show no signs of any let up yet.
Our refugee population, which is located in the south of the country, is not heavily affected at this time.
One of the first things that people need after being forced to flee their homes, whether they be refugees or internally displaced, is some kind of a roof over their head.
UNHCR is committed to increasing its ability to respond to complex emergency situations.
Shelter for the Displaced in Yemen
The port city of Aden in southern Yemen has long been a destination for refugees, asylum-seekers and economic migrants after making the dangerous sea crossing from the Horn of Africa. Since May 2011, Aden also has been providing shelter to tens of thousands of Yemenis fleeing fighting between government forces and armed groups in neighbouring Abyan governorate.
Most of the 157,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) from Abyan have found shelter with friends and relatives, but some 20,000 have been staying in dozens of public schools and eight vacant public buildings. Conditions are crowded with several families living together in a single classroom.
Many IDPs expected their displacement would not be for long. They wish to return home, but cannot do so due to the fighting. Moreover, some are fearful of reprisals if they return to areas where many homes were destroyed or severely damaged in bombings.
UNHCR has provided emergency assistance, including blankets, plastic sheeting and wood stoves, to almost 70,000 IDPs from Abyan. Earlier this year, UNHCR rehabilitated two buildings, providing shelter for 2,000 people and allowing 3,000 children, IDPs and locals, to resume schooling in proper classrooms. UNHCR is advocating with the authorities for the conversion of additional public buildings into transitional shelters for the thousands of IDPs still living in schools.
Photographer Pepe Rubio Larrauri travelled to Aden in March 2012 to document the day-to-day lives of the displaced.
Shelter for the Displaced in Yemen
Refugees from Myanmar: Ethnic Karens Seek Shelter
Over 2,000 refugees from Myanmar have crossed the border into Thailand in recent months. Most claim to be fleeing renewed conflict and human rights abuses in Kayin state, Myanmar. The mainly ethnic Karen refugees say their houses and villages have been burned and civilians killed. Many were weak upon arrival, suffering from illnesses such as malaria, after a long, dangerous journey to the camps through heavily mined areas. The refugees have been arriving at government-run camps, mainly in the Mae Hong Son area in northern Thailand.
UNHCR is working with the Thai government and non-governmental organisations to ensure the new arrivals are admitted to the camps and provided with adequate shelter and protection. Shelter has been a major issue as the capacity in many refugee camps has been overwhelmed. In a breakthrough in mid-May, Thai authorities agreed to build proper houses for the new arrivals.
There are currently 140,000 refugees from Myanmar living in nine border camps in Thailand, many of them have been there for up to 20 years.
Refugees from Myanmar: Ethnic Karens Seek Shelter
UNHCR providing shelter to Pakistan flood victims
The UN refugee agency is stepping up its efforts to distribute tents and other emergency supplies to families left homeless by severe flooding that hit parts of southern Pakistan in 2011. By early October, some 7,000 family tents had been provided to a national aid organization that is constructing small tent villages in southern Sindh province. A similar number of emergency household kits have also been supplied. Though the monsoon rains which caused the flooding have stopped, large areas remain under water and finding sufficient areas of dry land on which to pitch the tents remains a challenge. UNHCR has committed to providing 70,000 tents and relief kits to flood-stricken communities.
UNHCR providing shelter to Pakistan flood victims
Chad: A Nigerian Child Alone
Thousands of refugees have fled militant attacks in Nigeria and sought safety in Chad. They include at least 100 children who have been provided shelter by other families.
Turkey: Biggest Camp Opens
The new refugee camp in Suruc, southern Turkey can provide shelter for 35,000 people, making it the largest camp in the country. Families are arriving from some of the most conflict-affected areas in Syria.
Lebanon: The Elderly And The Young In The Storm
In Lebanon, a winter storm is taking its toll on the elderly and the very young, despite continued aid distributions. There are 402,000 registered refugees in the Bekaa Valley, who live in every conceivable type of shelter, although some are more vulnerable than others.
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