Refugees Developments Around the World

   In 2000 the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which is responsible for providing basic protection for the world's refugees, faced continuing crises but did so with diminished financial support from the world community. While expectations remained that UNHCR would meet its burdensome and increasing responsibilities, it was expected to do with a shortfall of $100 million. Meanwhile western countries raised higher barriers against refugees seeking safety at their borders.

Africa

   Extreme poverty and pervasive violence created large exoduses of frightened refugees. In spite of a peace agreement, in Congo fighting erupted and 350,000 fled the country, another 1.8 million were internally displaced and countless thousands died in the interior rendered inaccessible by the breakdown of order. In Sierra Leone, war resumed once more causing more displacement and long sought-after stability in Burundi remained elusive as the numbers of uprooted grew to a million. The Sudanese government continued to wage war on its people in the south and even targeted UN relief planes. 600,000 Sudanese remain uprooted. Civil war, instability and intransigent governments in Angola, Liberia, Uganda perpetuated destablization and left refugees unwilling to return home.

   Even in asylum countries refugees were far from adequately protected. Guinea, hosting thousands of refugees, was attacked from Sierra Leone and Liberia. Sudan attacked Sudanese refugees in Uganda. Unknown numbers of refugees in Congo, inaccessible to aid workers, are particularly vulnerable.

   More encouraging developments are ongoing repatriation to Chad and Ethiopia, reintegration of Congo-Brazzaville, and the emergence of a new national government in Somalia with the hope that this might make possible the return of 350,000 Somali refugees.

The Middle East

   The rejection of the Clinton peace proposal of 2000 appears to have ended the hope for peace in the Middle East at this time and a solution for the half-century old Palestinian refugee problem. There are now 4 million Palestinian refugees. In Iraq and Iran, persecution of minorities continues to prevent return of refugees and hostile tactics by Turkey have made seeking asylum in that country hazardous.

Europe

The war in Chechnya exacted a heavy toll-- leaving 170,000 displaced and compelling 200,000 refugees to leave and vulnerable to additional abuse as they fled. In Kosovo return to stability has been hampered by hostilities directed at Serb, Roma and Ashkali minorities who remain in the north or in small enclaves further south. Refugees continued to return to Bosnia, some forcibly "refouled" by Germany and other European countries. More refugees were able to reclaim their homes, although problems of reconciliation and slow economic recovery of the Bosnian Serb entity of Republika Srbska means prospects there are bleak. Meanwhile recent conflict in Macedonia has the international community working to prevent yet another Balkan upheaval.

South and Central Asia

   Devastating drought and conflict fueled further flows of refugees from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Kashmir. Tajikistan and Pakistan both closed their borders when faced with large numbers of refugees. At the same time, through the offices of the UNHCR, 130,000 Afghans repatriated from Iran. Others returned voluntarily.

   Civil conflict continued in Sri Lanka and lower level conflicts in northeast India and Nepal displaced small numbers of people. Spurred by abuse of ethnic minorities in Burma, and Tibet ethnic Rohingyan, Burmese and Tibetans continued to flee to Bangladesh, Nepal and India.

   More than 3.4 million Afghan refugees remain in Iran and Pakistan, 130,00 Tibetans in India and Nepal and 110,000 Sri Lankans in India, and an estimated 40,000 ethnic Chin Burmese in India.

East Asia

   With UNHCR ending its operations in Cambodia and Hong Kong closing of its last refugee camp, the transition from the South-East Asia refugee focus to a range of refugee concerns over a number of nations continues. Refugees have fled East Timor and North Korea while Burma, Indonesia and the Philippines have large numbers of displaced persons. Ethnic conflicts have created displacement in the Solomon Islands and Fiji.

The Americas

   In 2000, conflict and political violence directed at civilians in Colombia resulted in refugee flight to Ecuador, Venezuela, North America, Europe and Costa Rica. Ecuador cooperated with UNHCR to accommodate the arrivals while Venezuela returned most of them. Some small improvement in the Government's response to the needs of over two million displaced fell far short of being adequate. The number of politically motivated killings remained high. U.S. aid of $1.3 billion to Colombia was destined mainly to fight narco-trafficking but included an allocation for those displaced-- or for those who would be displaced by the U.S. funded aerial fumigation and military offensive.

In the United States, asylum applications increased and the approval rate increased from 38% in 1999 to 52% in 2000. Fewer refugees were admitted compared with 1999, the year of the U.S. response to the crisis in Kosovar. The number of refugees admitted from the Middle East doubled while those from Vietnam declined by two thirds.

   Canada began to return Chinese migrants who arrived in cargo ships. Mexico local integration of Guatemalan refugees continued while turmoil continued in Chiapas. Political and economic instability in Haiti led to increased poverty, hunger and crime. 20,000 Haitians await asylum in the United States.

Projects Funded by UMCOR

• Provide skills training and income generation for refugee women, to help them achieve long-term self-sufficiency.
• Care for refugee children orphaned by war or the imprisonment of their parents. Projects run schools, shelters, and health care programs.
• Help reintegrate refugees upon their return home. Projects assist refugees in making the transition from life in camps to self-sufficiency by providing technical training, seeds, tools, and livestock. Projects also construct houses, schools, and clinics.
• Assist refugees and asylum seekers in the U.S. with referrals,legal counseling, and sponsorship.

What Can You Do to Respond?

   1. Make possible the work of projects that serve refugees by supporting Global Refugee Response Advance #982540.

   2. Learn more about refugees and immigrants

   3.Contact UMCOR at the General Board of Global Ministries (212) 870-3806 for:

• Information on U.S. refugee resettlement and how to sponsor a refugee family
• Worship materials
• Updates on immigration/refugee issues of concern to the faith community
• Advocacy suggestions

    Make your check payable to your local church or "Advance GCFA." Be sure to write the Advance code number and project name on the check. For local church and annual conference credit, give your gift to your local church treasurer, who will send it to your conference treasurer. Gifts are forwarded to Advance GCFA, P.O. Box 9068, GPO, New York NY 10087-9068.

   

   The summary of global refugee developments is based on World Refugee Survey 2001, The Year in Review, by Jeff Drumtra , U.S. Committee for Refugees, Immigration and Refugee Services of America, 2001)

   Photos: (1) This church was destroyed during the conflict, Sierra Leone, 2001 by Paul Dirdak, GBGM. (2)Building damage, Beit Jala, 2001 by Walter Schenck, GBGM. (3) Refugee Afghan father and child, Peshawar, 1985 by Norma Kehrberg, GBGM.