Dubai: a City of Hope?
Sharla Musabih came to the UAE from the USA in 1983 to be with her Emirati husband. In 1991 she took in a woman who was a victim of domestic violence. What initially appeared to be an isolated case revealed…
Responsible refugee agencies could be ‘certified’
Looking through evaluations published in 2005 and 2006, it is clear that humanitarians still acknowledge a significant 'accountability deficit.' International NGOs took on fresh criticism for their performances in response to the Asian tsunami, despite efforts to address long-standing weaknesses.…
The RAISE Initiative: building RH capacity through collaboration
Capacity building to ensure the provision of quality sexual and reproductive health services (RH) in emergencies is a key component of the RAISE Initiative.[1] As emergencies become longer-term in nature, it is essential that – alongside the initial emergency response…
EU integration of refugees
Article 34 of the 1951 Convention calls on States to facilitate the “assimilation and naturalisation” of refugees. UNHCR recently published recommendations on how members of the European Union could better do so.[1] As part of its mandate to assist countries…
Improving health and mortality data for IDPs
Accurately measuring mortality rates and other indicators of health is an important means for targeting assistance for IDPs and evaluating the impact of humanitarian responses. Yet data on health and mortality among IDPs are often non-existent, inaccurate and incomplete. Few…
When 93,000 people know your name
“Norwejj, norwejj, okay, okay,” was how smiling faces greeted me every morning for nearly two years. I was the Norwegian Refugee Council camp coordinator[1] for Kalma IDP camp, east of Nyala in South Darfur. Kalma is currently home to 93,000…
Continuing displacement in DRC
In 1996, and again between 1998 and 2003, the DRC suffered two major wars as rebel groups with close links to neighbouring states competed to control large areas of eastern DRC. Civilians have borne the brunt of the violence, often…
Internships – rite of passage for students of forced migration?
Currently studying for a Master of Science in Forced Migration, we come from many countries but share a common tension – between a stubborn idealism and a deep-seated realism. Present in our respective research areas is an awareness of the…
Practising medicine amongst Somalia’s IDPs
In the midst of chaos and violence in Somalia, one woman in particular is making a positive contribution. Hawa Abdi is a gynaecologist with a practice in a 26-hectare compound that has become a camp for thousands of displaced Mogadishu…
