Latest news with #InternationalOrganizationForMigration
Al Arabiya
3 days ago
- General
- Al Arabiya
UN sees ‘alarming' surge in Afghan families deported from Iran
The UN migration agency on Tuesday voiced concern over a surge in Afghan families deported from Iran, recording a more than two-fold increase in May from the previous month. There was a 'sharp rise in the forced return of Afghan nationals' from Iran in May, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a statement, adding, 'Particularly alarming is a significant surge in the number of families being deported.'
Associated Press
27-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
6 Months After Ceasefire in Lebanon
Published by Action Against Hunger. Contact [email protected] for inquiries. NEW YORK and BEIRUT, May 27, 2025 /3BL/ - Despite hopes for peace after a ceasefire agreement six months ago in November 2024 in Lebanon, military activity remains intense in southern parts of the country, the Bekaa Valley and southern suburbs of Beirut. Around 90,000 people remain internally displaced, and nearly 1.2 million suffer from high levels of food insecurity. The civilian population remains at high risk, and recent attacks have targeted populated areas, further endangering lives and livelihoods. 'One of the last air strikes was on 8 May,' explains Suzanne Takkenberg, director of Action Against Hunger in Lebanon. 'On that day, there were more than 19 attacks in the space of an hour in southern Lebanon, close to our distribution points, forcing us to temporarily halt our activities.' 1 in 6 people Cannot Return Home According to the International Organization for Migration, approximately 90,000 people remain internally displaced in Lebanon. While over 900,000 people have returned to their communities, many have found their homes uninhabitable. Families are forced to live in borrowed flats or rent temporary housing, and the risks of unexploded ordnance and violence remain. One such displaced person is Ali (name changed for safety). Ali's home was completely destroyed, and he lost his job due to the conflict. He had no choice but to flee. Like hundreds of others, Ali took refuge at the emergency shelter in Bir Hassan School in south Beirut, where now, eight months later, he remains. Displaced people like Ali struggle to access clean water, healthcare, and sanitation. 'Displacement, extraordinary increases in the cost of living, interruptions in food supply, loss of livelihoods and damage to water and sanitation infrastructure are some of the barriers that prevent civilians from meeting their most basic needs,' said Takkenberg. Agriculture and Food Crisis According to the latest UN report on food security in Lebanon, nearly 1.2 million people, including Lebanese, Syrians, and Palestinians suffer from high levels of acute food insecurity despite the ceasefire. The situation is mainly due to the protracted impact of the conflict, continued forced population displacement, and the deep economic crisis of recent years. The livelihoods of families, especially those who make their living from agriculture, have been severely impacted. According to the World Bank, damage to the agricultural sector is estimated at a minimum of $11 billion in losses since the start of the conflict in October 2023. The border area was one of the worst affected during the escalation of the conflict. Jaafar, a farmer in Beit Lif, a predominantly agricultural region along the border with Israel, says that 'because of the drones, everyone is afraid. All the land and all the fields are destroyed in this area in the south. The trees have either been uprooted or damaged.' Beit Lif's population used to be 7,000, but now only 125 remain as lack of access to fertilizer, water, and fuel makes land cultivation nearly impossible. Mahmoud, a displaced person from Odaisseh says, 'There is no life. There are no plants. There is nothing left.' He has been living with his family for over a year and a half and cannot return home due to the level of destruction. 'We didn't expect the conflict to last so long, so we didn't bring many things with us. If humanitarian organizations stopped working here, it would be like leaving us at the mercy of the desert,' he concludes. Action Against Hunger's Humanitarian Response 'Many families are struggling to afford essential food items, and food insecurity is widespread. The most urgent needs include emergency shelter, access to clean water, hygiene kits, and sanitation facilities,' explains Suzanne Takkenberg. 'Damage to water and sanitation infrastructures makes it very difficult for families to return home permanently. The risk of waterborne diseases remains high. The efforts of humanitarian organizations are crucial to protect the well-being and dignity of those affected.' Action Against Hunger is providing emergency support in Beirut, the Bekaa, Baalbek-Hermel, Nabatiyeh, and southern Lebanon. Activities include: *** Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 21 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across over 55 countries, our 8,900 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good. Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from Action Against Hunger
Associated Press
23-05-2025
- Associated Press
At least 7 Sudanese migrants found dead after being stranded in Libyan desert
CAIRO (AP) — At least seven Sudanese migrants were found dead on Friday after their vehicle broke down and left them stranded for days deep in the Libyan desert, according to an ambulance service official. The car was carrying 34 Sudanese when it broke down some after crossing Libya's border from Chad and onto a deserted path often used by smugglers, Ebrahim Belhassan, a representative of the Kufra Ambulance and Emergency Services, told The Associated Press. They were discovered in the sand dunes after 11 days, having run out of food and water, he said. 'The survivors were almost about to die. They are severely dehydrated and exhibiting signs of distress and trauma with such circumstances and given that they're seeing those around them dying and they know if they will die next,' he said. The 22 rescued, including five children, were transferred to Kufra for further medical checkups. Five people are missing, but Belhassan said hopes were slim they would survive on foot in a vast desert. A smuggler who found them alerted emergency crews, Belhassan said. Libya, which shares borders with six nations and has a long coastline along the Mediterranean, is a main transit point for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East to seek better lives in Europe. The International Organization for Migration estimates around 787,000 migrants and refugees from various nationalities lived in Libya as of 2024. During last year, the Kufra ambulance service responded to emergencies involving more than 260 Sudanese migrants found in the desert, Belhassan said.
Arab News
21-05-2025
- General
- Arab News
War-displaced Sudanese return to collapsed cities, disease and dwindling aid
DUBAI: As Sudan's civil war grinds through its second year, a new chapter is unfolding — the slow and uncertain return of families to towns and cities recently recaptured by the Sudanese Armed Forces from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. But as they do so, aid agencies say, they are finding not assurances of normalcy but scenes of devastation, disease and dwindling humanitarian support. Nowhere is this more visible than in the capital, Khartoum. Once the heart of Sudan's political and economic life, it was among the first cities to be consumed by violence when a violent factional struggle erupted on April 15, 2023. Following months of intense urban warfare and the occupation of the city by the RSF, Khartoum was retaken by government troops in early March. Since then, an estimated 6,000 returnees have arrived in the city each day, according to state police. Most return with few possessions and even fewer options, compelled by necessity rather than optimism. The International Organization for Migration estimates that roughly 400,000 people returned to Khartoum and surrounding states such as Al-Jazirah and Sennar between December and March. The figures mark the first recorded decline — a modest 2.4 percent — in Sudan's displaced population since the conflict began. Yet for many, the homecoming is fraught with hardship. 'Many of those returning home from abroad or from elsewhere in the country remain with critical needs, often coming back with only what can be easily carried, or returning to find their previous homes unsafe for dignified living,' Natalie Payne, program support officer in IOM's emergency response team, told Arab News. Much of Khartoum's infrastructure — homes, schools, hospitals, power grids, and water treatment facilities — lies in ruins. In many neighborhoods, rubble clogs the streets, health clinics are shuttered, and there is no running water or electricity. With no functioning schools or job opportunities, families are forced to rely on the overstretched aid system for survival. Across Sudan, the needs are immense. Payne said IOM has recorded large-scale gaps in access to food, basic household goods, clean water, healthcare, and sanitation — not only for returnees but for communities that hosted them during the NUMBERS: • 24.6 million People facing acute food insecurity in Sudan (World Food Programme) • 12.5 million People displaced (inside and outside) since April 2023 (International Organization for Migration). • 13.2 percent Proportion of humanitarian funding received for Sudan's $4.2 billion UN appeal in 2025 (OCHA). • 17 million Children out of school in Sudan (Oxfam). Livelihood support is also urgently needed to help people rebuild some measure of stability. However, international agencies face mounting challenges in responding. The war has displaced more than 11.3 million people inside Sudan and forced nearly four million more to seek refuge in neighboring countries — including Egypt, Chad, and South Sudan — making it the world's largest displacement crisis. At the same time, the conflict has sparked what the UN calls the world's worst hunger crisis. Famine has already been declared in 10 areas, and aid officials fear this number will grow without immediate intervention. 'Given that the fighting has destroyed health, water, and sanitation infrastructure, IOM looks to operate mobile clinics, rehabilitate primary health care centers, and rehabilitate water infrastructure at gathering sites, as well as major border entry areas, such as the Askheet and Argeen border crossing point in Northern state between Sudan and Egypt,' said Payne. To operate in insecure or hard-to-reach areas, aid agencies partner with local organizations that have access and trust. One such partner is Sudan Zero Waste Organization, a grassroots NGO based in Khartoum, which is helping prevent disease outbreaks in communities of return. In a statement to Arab News, SZWO said cholera cases are rising in the capital and nearby Jebel Aulia due to a lack of safe drinking water and basic sanitation. 'Many returnees are being affected by cholera as a result of contact with the affected ones due to lack of awareness, lack of clean water access, and improper hygiene practices,' the organization said. SZWO is collaborating with NGOs and UN agencies to rehabilitate water points and hygiene facilities. It also plans to scale up community kitchens to combat food insecurity and distribute cash to the most vulnerable households. Long term, it hopes to support local healthcare centers in newly accessible areas, though it acknowledges that needs are currently far greater than capacity. Meanwhile, global humanitarian funding is drying up. The UN's Humanitarian Needs Response Plan for Sudan in 2025 is seeking $4.2 billion to reach nearly 21 million people. As of mid-May, only 13.2 percent of that amount had been secured. Humanitarians also face logistical challenges, particularly during Sudan's rainy season, which runs from June to October. Flooded terrain makes it difficult to reach remote or newly liberated areas, many of which are in desperate need of food and medical assistance. 'Access in Sudan is restricted at different times of the year due to adverse weather conditions,' said Payne. 'Shocks throughout the rainy season can lead to increased needs with limited opportunities to respond.' And while some areas are stabilizing, violence is flaring elsewhere. Port Sudan, the de facto wartime capital and humanitarian hub, recently came under attack — prompting the UN to warn that continued hostilities there could disrupt aid operations across the country. Other areas remain perilously unstable. West Kordofan and West Darfur have seen renewed fighting. In North Darfur, the SAF-held capital of Al-Fasher is under siege, and the nearby Zamzam and Abu Shouk displacement camps — already gripped by famine — have come under attack. These offensives have pushed new waves of displacement, with an estimated 450,000 people recently fleeing the region. Beyond Sudan's borders, neighboring countries are also straining under the weight of the crisis. According to UNHCR, more than 2,000 people are crossing into Chad every day, with rising numbers arriving in Libya and Uganda. Host countries, many of which are grappling with their own economic or security challenges, are running out of resources. 'Countries and communities receiving refugees have nothing to offer but a big heart,' Mamadou Dian Balde, UNHCR's regional refugee coordinator for Sudan, told Arab News. 'In Eastern Chad today, we have more refugees than nationals. South Sudan, itself mired in poverty, is further struggling to meet the needs of Sudan's refugees. If we do not put an end to this conflict, its repercussions will expand to other countries.' Within Sudan, the influx of returning and displaced populations into devastated neighborhoods is stretching local resources to breaking point. The economic collapse, lack of essential services, and ongoing violence have created perfect conditions for a humanitarian catastrophe. Balde said while returns from abroad have begun, the conditions are far from ideal. 'We have started seeing people returning, but these returns happen in adverse circumstances,' he said. 'Some people consider going back home or some families have decided to divide the family into two, sending some members first to go and see what properties they have left.' He added: 'People need support, but it needs to be balanced because there are returns that are not in large numbers versus the large number of refugees outside the country. I don't know whether we will still see this large number of people returning if we continue hearing about all these attacks.' Ultimately, aid agencies say the success of any return initiative hinges on far more than food or tents. It depends on a sustained ceasefire, political will and a long-term commitment from donors to rebuild essential infrastructure — from hospitals and schools to power stations and roads. Until then, Sudan's returnees in Khartoum must remain in a bleak and dangerous limbo while the SAF and RSF slug it out in other parts of the country.
Washington Post
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
U.N. migration agency will help with Trump's plan for immigrants to ‘self-deport'
The Trump administration has hired the United Nations agency for migration to help implement its 'self-deportation' program, placing an international organization that has advocated for migrant safety globally at the center of one of the president's most publicized efforts to curtail illegal migration. International Organization for Migration (IOM) officials said in a statement that the institution will assist in making sure the process is safe and dignified and emphasized that it will help with 'assisted voluntary returns,' not deportations.
