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2016 Impact Report of UNHCR response in Refugee Crisis.

 
Submitted by webmaster on 5 March 2018

2016 Impact Report of UNHCR response in Refugee Crisis.

365 days together UNHCR helps protect people forced to flee their homes. We work in some 128 countries around the world, protecting and caring for millions of people. Your generous support makes this possible. Here is a look at some of the events that marked 2016 and how we responded, together.

January: Thousands displaced in Niger

Around 100,000 people are driven from their homes in south-east Niger by attacks launched by the Boko Haram insurgency group. This includes local villagers, people already displaced from other parts of the country and Nigerian refugees. UNHCR redirects available resources to meet the urgent need for shelter and other basic aid, thanks to donors like you.

February: Refugees vote in Central African Republic election

Thousands of refugees vote in the second round of the Central African Republic’s (CAR) election which, after years of violence and suffering, could lead to peace and their return home. UNHCR helps inform eligible refugees from CAR in Cameroon, Chad and the Republic of the Congo about the electoral process and facilitate their participation.

March: Five years of war in Syria

This month marks five years of conflict in Syria – the biggest humanitarian and refugee crisis of our time. With your support, UNHCR and partners continue to protect and assist millions of Syrian refugees as well as families displaced inside Syria, delivering life-saving assistance, safeguarding fundamental human rights, and developing solutions to help Syrians find a better future.

April: Ecuador The worst earthquake in decades

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake strikes Ecuador, killing over 650 people and displacing some 73,000. Thanks to your generous support, UNHCR airlifts aid within days – including 50,000 sleeping mats, 18,000 mosquito nets and 900 tents – to families who’ve lost everything. Some 17,000 refugees and asylum seekers, mostly from Colombia, lived in some of the worst hit areas.

May: A global campaign to shelter refugees

As a record number of people worldwide are forced to flee, UNHCR launches Nobody Left Outside, a global campaign to fund decent shelter for refugees under our care. It calls on private donors and enterprises to raise funds to help shelter millions of refugees. Your support helps provide everything from life-saving emergency shelter like tents to temporary housing or rental assistance.

June: Forced displacement hits record high

Wars and persecution have driven more people from their homes than at any time since UNHCR records began, shows our new Global Trends report. A total of 65.3 million people were forcibly displaced at the end of 2015. On average, 24 people were forced to flee each minute.

 

July: 60,000 flee South Sudan

Fresh violence in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, sends 60,000 people fleeing for safety to Uganda, Kenya and Sudan – mostly women and children. Nearly 1 in 4 South Sudanese are estimated to be displaced inside the country or in neighbouring states. Thanks to donors like you, UNHCR continues to protect those forced to flee and deploys additional teams, while working with partners to open new refugee settlements.

August: First-ever Refugee Olympic Team

Ten refugees make history as members of the first-ever Refugee Olympic team at Rio 2016. The team includes two Syrian swimmers, two judokas from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a marathoner from Ethiopia and five runners from South Sudan. “Their participation in the Olympics is a tribute to the courage and perseverance of all refugees in overcoming adversity,” says Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Two displaced athletes also compete at the Paralympic Games in the Independent Paralympic Athletes Team.

September: Mediterranean death toll soars

September marks one year since the death of Syrian toddler Alan Kurdi, which resulted in an unprecedented wave of public support for refugees all over Europe. Since Alan’s death, the pace of drownings at sea has only increased, making 2016 the deadliest year in the Mediterranean yet. Across the world, in New York, UNHCR delivers a petition signed by over 1.2 million people expressing solidarity with refugees to the UN General Assembly. Days later, 193 countries commit to protect refugee and migrant rights at a key UN Summit.

October: Myanmar refugees return home

After decades in exile, a first group of Myanmar refugees in Thailand voluntarily return home. As of October 2016, there were some 103,000 Myanmar refugees in Thailand. UNHCR offers counselling and information, to ensure that returns are based on informed decisions. UNHCR and partners also give return assistance to those who choose to go.

November: Families flee Mosul

Some 73,000 people are displaced from Mosul, since the start of an offensive to retake the city on 17 October. In response, UNHCR starts to build 11 camps across northern Iraq, to shelter up to 120,000 people. We also provide life-saving protection, emergency relief packages to benefit some 54,000 people and winter items to help families survive the cold – all thanks to your kind donations.

December: Humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen

As fighting rages on in Aleppo, Syria, in Yemen, over two million people have been displaced inside the country because of a conflict that started nearly two years ago. More than half the population are in dire need of food. The needs of displaced people are huge. “We are hungry, cold and ill, we need help, food and medicines,” explains one displaced father. With your support, UNHCR has provided emergency aid to 660,000 people in Yemen since the start of the war.

 

We urgently need your help to continue providing life-saving protection to families forced to flee their homes.

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