refugees

With repatriation soaring in Africa, UN refugee agency appeals for $1.1 billion

10 December 2004
With an unprecedented number of repatriation operations underway in Africa, the United Nations refugee agency today launched a $1.1 billion appeal, nearly $100 million more than in 2004, to fund its work for next year to care for some 17 million refugees and other people worldwide.

Funding shortage forces UN agency to cut rations for refugees in Tanzania

25 October 2004
Severe funding shortages has forced the United Nations emergency feeding agency to cut rations to some 400,000 Burundian and Congolese refugees living in western Tanzania.
Erika Feller reports on state of refugee protection

Asylum debate ignores real problems faced by refugees, says UN official

7 October 2004
The United Nations refugee agency's top protection official said today she is alarmed that in many countries the debate on asylum is distorted by false concerns and ignores the genuine suffering still faced by refugees.
Ruud Lubbers addresses session

Refugees facing a less friendly environment, UN high commissioner warns

4 October 2004
Driven by prevailing fear, confusion and the politicization of humanitarian concerns, the world has become less friendly towards refugees - even though the number of people seeking asylum has fallen steeply - the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said today.
Congolese refugee women

Agreement reached on repatriating 10,000 DR of Congo refugees from CAR

31 August 2004
Some 10,000 people who fled the fighting in the northwest Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and sought refuge in the Central African Republic (CAR) up to two years ago could return home by the end of December under a new agreement between the two governments and the United Nations refugee agency.
Asylum seekers at a Swiss reception centre

UN refugee agency concerned at proposed changes to Swiss asylum laws

27 July 2004
The United Nations refugee agency expressed concern today over proposed changes to Switzerland’s asylum laws, warning they may breach international conventions at a time when the number of asylum-seekers across Europe has fallen rapidly.
Dennis McNamara

New UN office seeks to better address plight of 50 million uprooted people

20 July 2004
Seeking to better address the plight of 50 million people around the world uprooted from their homes by war and other emergencies, the United Nations has created a new office to "fill in the gaps" that previous efforts failed to tackle, its director said today.
Angolan refugees

Numbers of refugees and internally displaced lowest in 10 years - UN agency

17 June 2004
The number of refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs) and others helped by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) last year fell 18 per cent to 17.1 million – the lowest annual total in a decade.
Distribution of food aid

Gaza: UN agency resumes food distribution to 600,000 Palestinian refugees

21 April 2004
The main United Nations relief agency for Palestinian refugees today resumed distributing emergency food aid to 600,000 people in the Gaza Strip following a three-week suspension after Israel imposed new restrictions at the sole commercial crossing point.
Ruud Lubbers

World must seek lasting social, economic solutions for refugees - UN

17 March 2004
The global community must look beyond the immediate humanitarian dimension of refugee problems to the economic, social and political aspects in order to prevent protracted crises where too many displaced persons become child soldiers or victims of human traffickers, according to the top United Nations refugee official.