Sudan’s civil war drove hundreds of thousands of people from their homes to encroach on others’ resources, often sparking conflicts within and between southern communities. At the same time, traditional methods of governance and arbitration, that once kept inter-ethnic and…
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) – with support from the World Food Programme, OCHA, UNICEF, World Vision, MSF Spain and the Camboni missionaries – assisted some 5,000 IDPs from 10 different tribes on a 350-km return route through the…
Tragic recent events have drawn attention to the neglected issue of IDP settlements in the Khartoum metropolis, now home to five million people. In May 2005 Sudanese security forces arrived in the squatter area of Soba-Aradi, 30km south of Khartoum.…
Some IDPs send male family members ahead to assess conditions but the journey can be hazardous and the information gained scanty. Information provided by the authorities is not always reliable either, often reflecting political objectives. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)…
In the 1980s, Central America was one of the main battlegrounds of the Cold War. What began essentially as social conflicts over the lack of land for poor peasants, unequal distribution of wealth and restricted enjoyment of civil and political…
Citizenship or nationality is the essential link between an individual and the State. Establishing and preserving an individual’s right to nationality is a necessary prerequisite for the expansion and enforcement of all other human rights. Stateless persons have an equal…
Sixty thousand Burmese women are living in nine refugee camps in Thailand.[1] Many are survivors of rape and other forms of sexual abuse in war-torn Burma and continue to face sexual and gender-based violence even after fleeing to Thailand. Perpetrators…
Although the north-east is rich in natural resources it has remained under-developed, isolated and perpetually vulnerable to violent ethnic conflicts. Over 30 rebel groups are active in a region which is home to 200 of India’s tribal groups. As a…
Zambia currently provides refuge for around 175,000 refugees from Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo and elsewhere. Despite its poverty, Zambia has been a generous host and has not put pressure on those Angolans who do not wish to repatriate.…
Many are surprised to learn that IRIN is a UN service. Housed within the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), IRIN offers editorially independent coverage of humanitarian situations. Ten years ago the creation of IRIN marked the start…