Category: Refugees

Mexico: UNICEF calls for implementation of protocol to protect migrant children

UNICEF/Luis Kelly Children playing in a UNICEF-backed child-friendly space in Jesús Martínez ‘Palillo’ Stadium, a temporary shelter in Mexico City, Mexico, November 2018. Authorities in Mexico are being reminded by the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, of the need to protect the rights of migrant children who enter the country. UNICEF on Saturday reported that some 700 children are among the […]

Nearly 5 million children in need due to rising violence in central Sahel: UNICEF

UN OCHA/Giles Clarke Boys play in a waterhole near the town of Kaya in northern Burkina Faso. A surge in violence in the central Sahel region in Africa means nearly five million children will need humanitarian assistance this year, up from 4.3 million, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday. The agency reported that children have been attacked, abducted […]

Protecting refugees in Europe: UNHCR calls for a ‘year of change’

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) is calling on the European Union (EU) to make 2020 “the year of change for robust refugee protection”. On Thursday, the agency issued a set of new recommendations, as Croatia and German preside over the EU Council during the next 12 months. After years of shifting policies and heated debate, UNHCR said […]

UN chief urges ‘maximum restraint’ following policy shift over northeastern Syria

The UN chief on Tuesday expressed “great concern” over recent policy statements made regarding northeastern Syria, following the announcement from the United States at the start of the week, that it would withdraw troops from the area close to the border with Turkey. Secretary-General António Guterres, “has called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint,” said a statement released by his Spokesperson, emphasizing his concern for the risks posed to civilians by potential military actions in […]

UN highlights need to solve growing burden of forcibly displaced Africans

With 24.2 million Africans forced from their homes in 2017  ̶  4.6 million more than the previous year  ̶  the UN is hosting a three-day event at UN headquarters, focusing on finding durable solutions to the problem, which is a growing burden on the continent’s economy, environment and communities which host those displaced. The 2019 Africa Dialogue Series, (ADS) which began on Monday under the theme “Towards durable solutions for forcibly displaced persons in Africa,” brings together a wide range of actors with a stake in finding […]

Some 300,000 Venezuelan children in Colombia need humanitarian assistance; UNICEF looks to boost response funding

Without increased support, the health, education and well-being of at least 327,000 children from Venezuela living as migrants and refugees in Colombia will be in jeopardy, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Monday. “At a time when anti-migrant sentiment is growing worldwide, Colombia has generously kept its doors open to its neighbors from Venezuela,” said Paloma […]