[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on the topic of refugees, migrants, and IDPs and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Refugees and Migrants Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. It is updated monthly. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each month's roundup to info@jadaliyya.com.]
UN OCHA Yemen Humanitarian Update
An updated report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Yemen indicates an UN-brokered truce has reduced civilian casualties and internal displacement. However, the report also recognizes despite overall reductions, flood devastation has left 74,000 households with needs. The report discusses insufficient funding for life-saving response programs.
Yemen: Conflict leaves millions of children without proper education
An International Committee of the Red Cross press release reports Yemen’s armed conflict has contributed to an education crisis. More than two million children are out of school, and there have been instances where students and teachers have been killed and injured on their way to school. With displacement from armed conflict, many children grow up with unreliable access to education.
Flooding, conflict, and hunger crushing the lives of South Sudan’s children
In addition to inter-communal conflict and increased food prices, South Sudan has experienced widespread flooding in the last few months, leading to a hunger crisis. Children have become especially vulnerable to disease and malnutrition. Thousands have been displaced, and the UN estimates that 71% of the population requires humanitarian assistance.
Cholera spreads across Syria putting vulnerable people at serious risk
Northern Syria’s cholera outbreak has spread across the country. There have been more than 13,000 suspected cases, including 60 deaths. The outbreak has been linked to contamination in the water near the Euphrates, leading to water shortages. With Syria's 6.9 million internally displaced people, this outbreak is likely to contribute to an increase. Médecins Sans Frontières and local health authorities have been providing medical assistance and supplies.
Insecurity and COVID-19 fuel refugee mental health concerns in Libya
The World Health Organization reports COVID-19 pandemic led to a global crisis for mental health. Mental health services were disrupted as a result of movement restrictions and lockdowns. With the rise in unemployment during the pandemic, some asylum seekers and refugees in Libya faced increased anxiety. Dr. Hanan Al-Shremi, a psychiatrist in Tripoli, details the significant spike in mental health services from asylum and refugee populations due to financial and physical insecurity.
United Nations calls for greater efforts to tackle food insecurity and malnutrition in South Sudan
Numerous international organizations have noted South Sudan has the potential to be a large food-producing country. However, sub-national conflict in South Sudan has forced people to flee, leaving the country in a constant food crisis. Food insecurity is at unprecedented levels this year, wherein more than half the population is food insecure. The United Nations calls for concrete plans to address the causes of malnutrition and food insecurity in South Sudan.
Turkey prevents Syrian migrants crossing into Greece, group member says
Turkish security forces dragged away hundreds of Syrian migrants who had organized themselves into a group called “Caravan of Light” from crossing Turkey’s northwestern border into Greece.
Iraq: Iran Attacks Kill Civilians in Kurdistan Region
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards forces attacked offices of Iranian opposition parties in the Sidakan district and the Koya district and a residential complex in the Sulaymaniyah governorate. The attack in Koya hit a refugee settlement, injuring at least two children and killing a pregnant woman.
Displaced women in South Sudan work to hold back floodwaters
Following intense flooding, hundreds of displaced women have manually heaved water from roads used to deliver relief to a camp in Bentiu, South Sudan. Many camps in South Sudan shelter displaced people below the current water level, wherein they are at risk of collapsing infrastructure. More than 135,000 people in Bentiu rely on the roads between camps and the state capital for access to food, medicine, and employment.
Stay or go: Palestinians in Lebanon plunged into poverty
While Lebanon’s economic turmoil has devastated the Lebanese, it has dramatically impacted Palestinian refugees. UNRWA reported many of these refugees are in poverty, living on less than $2 a day, and for the 210,000 Palestinians living in the 12 refugee camps and overcrowded surroundings, 93% of them are at the poverty level.
Turkey: Hundreds of Refugees Deported to Syria
Turkish forces have arrested, detained, and deported hundreds of Syrians back to Syria. In detention, refugees have lived in poor conditions, experienced abuse, and were forced into signing voluntary return forms. Refugees were driven to the northern border with Syria and forced at gunpoint to cross into Syria.
Will Qatar and FIFA Remedy the Abuse of Migrant Workers?
As Qatar intends on hosting the FIFA Men’s World Cup 2022, serious concerns draw on the working condition of migrant workers building the tournament’s infrastructure. According to a 2012 Human Rights Watch report, Qatar’s kafala (sponsorship) system that binds workers’ legal status to their employer permits critical forced labor abuses, including charging recruitment fees, wage theft, and poor working conditions. The International Labour Organization has pressured Qatar to undergo reforms. Human Rights Watch calls on FIFA and Qatar to recognize and address the migrant workers who have experienced wage theft, been injured, or killed, and with families left in debt.
EU funds border control deal in Egypt with migration via Libya on rise
The EU signed a deal with Egypt to support Egypt’s coast and border guards to counter irregular migration and human trafficking. The 80 million-euro program comes in response to increased irregular migration on Egypt’s border with Libya and Libya’s Mediterranean coast. The program will work to develop the Egyptian ministry of defense and government and civil society group capacities on “protection-oriented and gender-sensitive approaches” in border management.