One year on from the historic United Nations summit for refugees and migrants, the international community has failed to make meaningful progress towards meeting the goals of the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, Oxfam said today.
The Declaration, first adopted last September, reaffirmed the responsibility of all nations to refugees, and laid out a two-year deadline for countries to develop and agree on a “global compact” that would make these commitments a reality. But 12 months on, there has been no improvement in refugee crises around the world.
There has been little sign that the countries which agreed the New York Declaration are acting in line with their commitments, and there has been no end to discriminatory and xenophobic migration-related laws and practices in many parts of the world. Unfortunately, this lack of progress at the halfway point has experts worried that this valuable opportunity is being squandered and that an effective solution will not be agreed upon in 2018.
Fionna Smyth, Oxfam GB’s Head of Humanitarian Advocacy and Campaigns, said: “More than 65 million people around the world have been forced from their homes because of dangers beyond their control. They are trapped in limbo or risking their lives in search of safety while world leaders stall and delay. All governments, but particularly those of rich nations like the UK, should deliver the global solution they have promised.”
Oxfam urges countries to realise the ambitious agenda put forward in the Declaration quickly and in particular to work together transparently in delivering a concrete mechanism for sharing responsibility for refugees by the 2018 deadline.
Crucially, the mechanism should establish each country’s responsibility for hosting, protecting, and caring for refugees. Poorer countries like Uganda and Lebanon are still bearing the brunt of the crisis, hosting almost 90 percent of displaced people around the world according to Oxfam’s last analysis. Less than one in 10 of the world’s refugees lives in the six richest countries – the US, China, Japan, Germany, France and the UK. The British government should follow Germany and Turkey’s lead in calling for a system that shares responsibility more fairly.
Smyth said: “While the UK has been a generous donor to other nations that are hosting millions of refugees, this does not excuse it from its responsibility to open its doors to the most vulnerable people who have been forced from their homes. One simple and compassionate way it can do this is to change the rules so more refugees can reunite with their family in safety in the UK.”
Oxfam has warned against increased hostility towards refugees and more violent conflicts forcing people to flee.
More than a million refugees from South Sudan have arrived in Uganda – 80 percent of them arriving in the last year – yet world leaders have contributed less than a quarter of the $2 billion the country is seeking for humanitarian and development needs.
More than 2,400 people have died trying to cross the Mediterranean so far this year.
Hundreds of thousands of people have fled to Bangladesh to escape violence in Myanmar with no obvious solution in sight.
The Syrian conflict rages unabated – millions displaced by the war continue to live without sufficient support or protection.“It is scandalous that we are still so far from a comprehensive plan to share responsibility for the refugee crisis while poorer countries continue to pick up the pieces. Wealthy nations are turning a blind eye and leaving others to clean up the mess,” said Smyth.
Ends
For information or to arrange an interview contact:
In New York: Attila Kulcsar on attila.kulcsar@oxfam.org / +44 (0)7471 142 974
In London: Kai Tabacek on ktabacek1@oxfam.org.uk / +44 (0)7584 265 077
Early Warnings by Region
Acholi: Conditions are close to average but remain under “watch” for most districts in the region due to poor rainfall during July except for Kitgum that is above average due to increased rainfall leading to favorable conditions in the district.
Central: Favorable conditions are reported throughout with exception of Kalangala and Buvuma were conditions are under “watch”. Conditions are improving due to continuous rains received throughout August and projected above average rainfall during September to December season (SOND). However, there have also been reports of cassava mosaic disease in the region.
East Central & Elgon: “Watch” conditions across the region are reported and expected to improve due to continued rains throughout August in Elgon, Mixed conditions ranging from poor in Bukwa, Butaleja, Kapchorwa and Tororo to watch for the rest of the districts.
Karamoja: Late planting was completed and the region is experiencing watch conditions due to a fall in rainfall pattern between late July and early August. However, pasture conditions are expected to remain above average and improve further due to late rains received at the end of August. Army worms affecting sorghum have also been reported in Napak District.
Lango & Teso: Both regions are largely under watch due to below average rainfall early August causing dry conditions. Conditions are however, projected improve due to near normal to above normal rainfall during SOND.
Western: Mixed conditions ranging from favorable in Kiriyandongo, Masindi, Hoima and Buliisa to watch for the remainder of the region. Steady near normal rainfall is expected to begin mid-September and will likely lead to favorable crop conditions.
Southwestern: The region has had a poor start of season with three-month rainfall less than 50% of average. Crop are off to a poor start and the below normal rainfall projected in part of the region will likely lead to persistent poor conditions mid-season.
West Nile: Conditions are favorable in Nebbi, Maracha Moyo and Arua. Watch conditions prevail in the rest of the districts but conditions will likely improve with average to above average harvest.
Summary
The present report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 71/173. It updates information contained in the report of the Secretary-General submitted to the Assembly at its seventy-first session (A/71/354) and covers the period from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017. The report has been coordinated by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and includes information provided by the International Organization for Migration, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, the United Nations Population Fund, the World Food Programme and the World Health Organization. It also includes information drawn from reports by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.
I. Introduction
1. Africa was affected by multiple crises over the past year, which saw the number of people displaced by conflict and persecution grow steadily. Instability and insecurity in Burundi, the Central African Republic and South Sudan and parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and Somalia triggered significant population movements within and across borders. Numerous situations remained unresolved across the continent, with millions of refugees and internally displaced persons lingering in protracted situations.
2. By the end of 2016, the number of refugees and internally displaced persons in Africa had risen from 4.4 million to more than 5 million, and from 10.7 million to more than 11 million, respectively. In addition, the region hosted 450,000 asylum seekers and an estimated 1 million stateless persons. The majority of refugees received protection in neighbouring countries, many of which faced increasing economic hardship. Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Sudan and Uganda were the African countries hosting the largest number of refugees, with the refugee population in Uganda nearly doubling during the period.
3. Food insecurity and the risk of famine, particularly in East Africa and the Horn of Africa, called for major relief efforts. In parts of northern Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan, some 20 million people were affected by a combination of prolonged conflict and drought that fuelled food insecurity. As a result of funding shortfalls, nine refugee operations in Africa experienced cuts to food rations, with negative consequences for approximately 2 million refugees.
4. Mixed movements of refugees and migrants remained a challenge in many regions of Africa, including across the Sahara towards North Africa, from the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa towards Southern Africa, and across the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to Yemen, and presented serious protection risks and difficulties for receiving countries.
5. Against this complex background, Africa is expected to benefit from a number of new initiatives to galvanize national, regional and international responses from Member States, regional organizations, international and national non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and development actors. This includes the commitments made at the World Humanitarian Summit (such as the Grand Bargain) in May 2016; the high-level summit of the General Assembly to address large movements of refugees and migrants in September 2016, which led to the adoption of the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants; and the leaders’ summit on refugees that followed; as well as a number of important regional endeavours. Those initiatives are expected to lead to a more predictable and comprehensive approach, as well as additional resourcing, to address the humanitarian needs and foster solutions to displacement.
Résumé
Le présent rapport est soumis en application de la résolution 71/173 de l’Assemblée générale. Il actualise les informations contenues dans le rapport présenté par le Secrétaire général à l’Assemblée à sa soixante et onzième session (A/71/354) et couvre la période allant du 1er juillet 2016 au 30 juin 2017. Il a été élaboré sous la coordination du Haut-Commissariat des Nations Unies pour les réfugiés et se fonde sur les informations reçues de l’Organisation internationale pour les migrations, du Bureau de la coordination des affaires humanitaires, du Haut - Commissariat des Nations Unies aux droits de l’homme, du Fonds des Nations Unies pour l’enfance, du Programme des Nations Unies pour le développement, de l’Entité des Nations Unies pour l’égalité des sexes et l’autonomisation des femmes, du Fonds des Nations Unies pour la population, du Programme alimentaire mondial et de l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé, ainsi que sur des rapports de l’Observatoire des situations de déplacement interne.
I. Introduction
1. L’Afrique a connu des crises multiples au cours de l’année écoulée, qui a été marquée par une augmentation soutenue du nombre de personnes déplacées par des conflits et des persécutions. L’instabilité et l’insécurité au Burundi, en République centrafricaine, au Soudan du Sud et dans certaines régions du Nigéria, de la République démocratique du Congo et de la Somalie ont provoqué d’importants mouvements de population dans les pays et au travers des frontières. De nombreuses situations ne sont toujours pas réglées sur l’ensemble du continent, où des millions de réfugiés et de personnes déplacées sont condamnés à voir leurs conditions de vie perdurer.
2. À la fin de 2016, le nombre de réfugiés et de personnes déplacées en Afrique était passé, respectivement, de 4,4 millions à plus de 5 millions et de 10,7 millions à plus de 11 millions. En outre, la région comptait 450 000 demandeurs d’asile et environ un million d’apatrides. La majorité des réfugiés bénéficiaient d’une protection dans les pays voisins, qui, pour nombre d’entre eux, connaissaient des difficultés économiques croissantes. L’Éthiopie, le Kenya, l’Ouganda, la République démocratique du Congo, le Soudan et le Tchad étaient les pays africains abritant le plus de réfugiés. La population de réfugiés a presque doublé en Ouganda pendant la période.
3. Face à l’insécurité alimentaire et au risque de famine, en particulier en Afrique de l’Est et dans la Corne de l’Afrique, il a fallu déployer d’importants efforts de secours. Dans certaines régions du nord du Nigéria, de la Somalie et du Soudan du Sud, quelque 20 millions de personnes souffraient des effets conjugués de conflits prolongés et de la sécheresse, qui avaient aggravé l’insécurité alimentaire. Le manque de fonds avait contraint neuf opérations d’aide aux réfugiés en Afrique à diminuer les rations alimentaires, avec des conséquences négatives pour près de 2 millions de réfugiés.
4. De nombreuses régions ont continué de devoir faire face à des flux mixtes de réfugiés et de migrants, notamment à travers le Sahara vers l’Afrique du Nord, de la région des Grands Lacs et de la Corne de l’Afrique vers l’Afrique australe, et à travers la mer Rouge et le Golfe d’Aden vers le Yémen, ce qui engendrait de graves risques et difficultés pour les pays d’accueil cherchant à assurer une protection.
5. Dans une situation aussi complexe, l’Afrique devrait ressentir les effets positifs de plusieurs initiatives nouvelles visant à susciter des interventions nationales, régionales et internationales de la part des États Membres, des organisations régionales, des organisations non gouvernementales internationales et nationales ainsi que des acteurs du dévelo ppement. On citera notamment les engagements pris (sous le nom de « Grand compromis ») lors du Sommet mondial de l’action humanitaire en mai 2016, de la réunion plénière de haut niveau de l’Assemblée générale sur la gestion des déplacements massifs de réfu giés et de migrants, qui s’est tenue en septembre 2016 et a conduit à l’adoption de la Déclaration de New York pour les réfugiés et les migrants, et le Sommet des dirigeants sur les réfugiés qui y a fait suite ainsi que plusieurs importantes activités régionales. Ces initiatives devraient favoriser une approche plus prévisible et globale ainsi que la mobilisation de ressources supplémentaires pour répondre aux besoins humanitaires et trouver des solutions au problème des déplacements.
Overview
This weekly bulletin focuses on selected acute public health emergencies occurring in the WHO African Region. The WHO Health Emergencies Programme is currently monitoring 48 events in the region. This week’s edition covers key new and ongoing events, including:
• Plague in Madagascar
• Undiagnosed acute jaundice syndrome in Ethiopia
• Humanitarian crisis in Nigeria
• Humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia
• Humanitarian crisis in South Sudan
• Hepatitis E in Chad
• Malaria in Burundi
• Cholera in Kenya.
For each of these events, a brief description followed by public health measures implemented and an interpretation of the situation is provided.
A table is provided at the end of the bulletin with information on all new and ongoing public health events currently being monitored in the region, as well as events that have recently been closed.
Major challenges include:
• Delayed, suboptimal or obstructed laboratory investigations impacting the timely identification of the cause of some outbreaks, and in turn hindering interventions
• Inaccessibility of communities affected by various emergencies inhibiting health and other humanitarian interventions
On the margins of the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly, the governments of Zambia and Canada, with support from UN Women, UNICEF, UNFPA and the African Union Commission, hosted a high-level side event for global leaders to renew their commitments and accelerate efforts to end child marriage in Africa by 2030.
“Girls who marry young are often denied their rights,” said President of Zambia Edgar Lungu. “Ending child marriage by 2030 will require a range of action, including making sure girls have access to quality education, legal reforms and changing traditional harmful practices.”
The 18 September event, attended by President of Zambia, Edgar Lungu; President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni; and President of Malawi, Peter Mutharika, and a host of senior officials, provided an opportunity to renew existing partnerships to end child marriage in the build up to the second African Girls’ Summit on Ending Child Marriage in Africa.
“We cannot harvest the best potential unless we stop early marriage,” said President Mutharika of Malawi. “Every child must be given empowerment and wings of hope to fly very high. We must invest more in our young people.”
President Museveni of Uganda emphasized the importance of education for girls and skills training to boost women’s economic empowerment and financial independence: “If they can get out of dependence on parents or husbands, then girls can have free choice.”
UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka moderated the interactive dialogue and expressed her appreciation for the support of the leaders. Emphasizing the importance of continued work on the critical issue of ending child and forced marriages, she said: “It is about acceleration. Accelerating action to 2030, so by that time we have eradicated this harmful practice,” said Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka. “If we don’t empower girls, there is no hope for anyone else.”
Worldwide, almost 750 million women and girls alive today were married before their 18th birthday. In West and Central Africa, where child marriage is most common, more than four in 10 girls were married before age 18. Although child marriage is slowly declining worldwide, if current trends continue, due to population growth, the total number of child brides will remain around 750 million in 2030. A third of them will be African. Ending child, early and forced marriages is now a specific target of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 5).
In Summary
By JULIUS OCUNGI GULU
A devastating flash flood has again swept through Elegu trading center in Atiak Sub-county Amuru District at the Uganda-South Sudan border point.
An eyewitness reported that the floods hit the area at about 7:30 pm. Heavy downpour experienced in the last three days within Gulu and Amuru districts is said to have forced River Unyama to again burst its banks, sending fast flowing waters through the trading centre.
Mr Johnson Uma, a trader at Elegu Trading centre, told this reporter that many people who were unaware of the floods have been trapped, adding that some have sought refuge on rooftops and trees. Mr Uma said people had earlier on been warned to vacate the area due to the heavy downpour experienced in the past three days but some didn’t take heed.
He said the areas submerged are Elegu Zone Two and Bibia West parishes in the eastern part of Elegu trading center. “I’m seeing many phone torches being flashed right now; some from rooftops while others are from trees. The water level is rising really very fast and we are scared that by tomorrow the whole trading centre will be in water,” a seemingly nervous Mr Uma said. He further noted that Elegu police station has been submerged.
Assistant Superintendent of Police [ASP] Gerald Kaheesi, the Officer in Charge of Elegu Police Station confirmed that the eastern side of the trading centre has been flooded. He also acknowledged that the police station compound had been flooded but was quick to note that it's not as alarming as compared to last month’s floods.
"There is no cause for alarm. We warned the locals and traders early enough, the situation is not as worst as you may think," he told this reporter in a telephone interview. He said they are monitoring the situation.
The disaster comes barely a month after the same area was hit by floods that killed two people, destroyed several semi-permanent structures and properties worth billions of shillings and displaced about 6,000 people. Despite government warning of more floods hitting the area and the call for the locals mostly traders and farmers to vacate the affected areas, many didn’t heed to the calls and instead returned to resumed their businesses.
Around the world, there are too many refugee children who haven’t just lost their homes, they’re also losing their futures every single day.
More than half of all the refugee children in the world – 3.5 million children – aren’t in school.
Last year world leaders made a promise: that all refugee children would be in school and learning within a few months of becoming refugees. One year on that promise has been broken. Since that promise was made, refugee children have lost out on over 700 million days of school. Every day another 1.9 million school days are lost.
The time to act is now. Millions of the world's out-of-school refugees have already lost years of learning. In fact, many have never had the chance to go to school. They cannot afford another year of inaction.
Refugee children and their parents consistently identify education as a priority. They see schooling as a source of hope and opportunity - and they are right. It is time for the international community to listen to them.
In our new report ‘Losing out on Learning’ we assess progress in implementing the education-related commitments made in the New York Declaration on Migrants and Refugees and at the 2016 Leaders’ Summit on Refugees.
We call for countries to keep their promises to get refugee children back into school by:
By keeping our promise to get all refugee children back into school we can help ensure that every last refugee child has a future.
CASE STUDY
Daniel* is a budding scientist. He fled South Sudan and is now living in Bidi Bidi, Uganda, the largest refugee settlement in the world. Daniel’s school represents a microcosm of the challenges facing refugees: there are over 1,400 registered students in a school with just 5 teachers. His classroom, a temporary tent-like structure is hot and very dark. There is not one textbook in sight.
Despite this, Daniel and his peers want to learn. Learn more about call to ensure all refugee children are in school and learning.
OUR EVERY LAST CHILD CAMPAIGN
The world has made incredible progress for children - but millions are still being denied the opportunity to survive and learn simply because of who they are and where they live. Save the Children's campaign – Every Last Child – strives to do whatever it takes to reach the world's most excluded children.
Without urgent action to tackle this exclusion, progress for children will slow and may even halt altogether. With this campaign we are asking the world to put excluded children first and remove the barriers that exclude millions of children from healthcare, nutrition and education each year.
With your help, we can build a world in which no child’s opportunities are determined by who they are or where they were born. Together we can reach every last child.
Our Every Last Child campaign will address some of the key causes of exclusion so that we can reach 15 million children and contribute towards progress on the SDGs. Together we can reach every last child.
Vienna, Austria, September 19, 2017. The 160th Session of the Governing Board of the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) has approved nearly US$250 million of new development funding to benefit developing countries across the globe.
OFID Director-General Suleiman J Al-Herbish explained that much of the funding is directed toward improving the water and sanitation, and energy sectors, of the organization’s partner countries. “Water and energy form part of OFID’s strategically critical nexus, along with food,” said Al-Herbish. “This nexus is about recognizing that these three sectors are intrinsically linked and that issues in one sector cannot be addressed in isolation.
“OFID has made clear its readiness to fund projects on the ground in support of energy, water and food projects in developing countries across the world. We are fully committed, more generally, to supporting all 17 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. This new funding demonstrates our determination and will support improvements to the living standards of some of the most vulnerable people on our planet.”
OFID’s newly-approved public sector loans, which total nearly US$160 million, will support the following projects:
Argentina: Gran Tulum Water Supply. To promote the socio-economic development and living standards of around 520,000 people in San Juan province by building a new water supply system to meet current and future demands. In addition to improving health indictors, the project will help boost the agriculture sector by providing a reliable source of water for crop irrigation and livestock.
Côte d’Ivoire: Rehabilitation of Cocody Bay (Lot 3). To carry out various environmental works at Cocody Bay and the Ebrie Lagoon to improve health and living standards of around 1.9 million inhabitants in and around the capital Abidjan. The project is expected to reduce infant mortality and incidence of vector-borne diseases, particularly malaria. Better environmental conditions will also attract commercial activities such as fishing and tourism, creating jobs and boosting development.
Cuba: Solar Energy Development. To help Cuba diversify its energy mix by increasing the generation of electricity from renewable energy sources. This will be done by developing solar water heaters and domestic photovoltaic systems to benefit the population across the country and by constructing two solar photovoltaic power plants in Las Tunas Province. The project will benefit around 250,000 people.
Egypt: Rehabilitation of Irrigation & Drainage Pumping Stations, Phase II. To replace and repair pumping stations for a reliable delivery of water for irrigation and to reduce losses, thus raising agricultural production. This will, in turn, help increase incomes and food security for more than 380,000 people.
Other approvals include eight grants totaling US$4.32 million. The grants support the following organizations:
Under OFID’s private sector facility, three financing facilities totaling US$60 million were approved. One will help increase the generation of electricity in Bangladesh; while another will support a financial institution in Lebanon in expanding its lending to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Also approved was an equity participation in a regional bank to help it meet the trade and infrastructure finance needs of its member countries in the eastern and southern Africa region. Under OFID’s trade finance operations, US$25 million was approved to help finance international trade activities in Georgia.
By Jamie Hitchen
A policy researcher at Africa Research Institute. The views expressed here are his own
Uganda received its one millionth refugee from South Sudan on 17 August. This influx of people, many of whom have fled terrible violence to seek sanctuary in northern Uganda, has put a significant financial strain on the country and in particular its northern region.
Read more on IRIN.
Bangladesh
Affected areas: Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Sylhet divisions
Cause of displacement Disaster:
Figures More than 427,000 new disaster displacements between 12 August and 4 September
Context
More than more than 427,000 people were displaced by flooding in the divisions of Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur and Sylhet between 12 August and 3 September. Those displaced were forced to leave their homes as heavy rainfall and subsequent downhill streams led to the inundation of river basin areas in northern areas of Bangladesh (HCTT, 4 Sept 2017; IFRC, 4 Sept 2017;
The Guardian, 31 Aug 2017). About 46,000 people were being housed in 172 shelters as of 3 September (HCTT, 4 Sept 2017). The flooding, described by the IFRC as the worst in 40 years, has washed away entire homes, crops, livestock and other food supplies, leaving communities fearful of starvation (CNN, 1 Sept 2017).
LATEST SURVEY RESULTS FROM ICAP SHOW LESOTHO’S SIGNIFICANT SUCCESS WITH HIV VIRAL LOAD SUPPRESSION AND STABILIZATION OF UGANDA’S PREVIOUSLY EXPANDING EPIDEMIC
Data released today from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) show that the HIV epidemic is coming under control in Lesotho. These results add to prior PEPFAR-supported Population-based HIV Impact Assessments (PHIAs) announced in the last nine months for Malawi, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The data were gathered through national surveys conducted by ICAP at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and local governmental and non-governmental partners. Seven additional countries will complete PHIAs on a rolling basis through 2017-2019, providing an ability to chart and validate their respective progress toward reaching epidemic control by 2020.
Together, these data demonstrate impressive progress toward controlling the HIV epidemics in the five countries. The latest data also indicate that the previously expanding epidemic in Uganda has now stabilized. None of these achievements would be possible without the political will and leadership to focus resources for maximum impact in each of these countries.
According to the new Lesotho PHIA results, HIV viral load suppression – a key marker of the body successfully controlling the virus – has reached over 67 percent among all HIV-positive adults ages 15-59. This finding suggests that Lesotho is on track to achieve epidemic control by 2020, through reaching the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) 90-90-90 targets and expanding HIV prevention. Uganda’s epidemic has likely stabilized due to increases in coverage of voluntary medical male circumcision for HIV prevention and expansion of HIV treatment, including for HIV-positive pregnant women.
Building on this progress, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson today released the new PEPFAR Strategy for Accelerating HIV/AIDS Epidemic Control (2017-2020). The strategy reaffirms the U.S. government’s leadership and commitment, through PEPFAR, to support HIV/AIDS efforts in more than 50 countries, ensuring access to services by all populations, including the most vulnerable and at-risk groups.
The strategy outlines plans to accelerate implementation in a subset of 13 high-burden countries that have the potential to achieve epidemic control by 2020, working in collaboration with host governments, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, UNAIDS, and other partners. Through this international effort, we expect not only to control the epidemic, but also to reduce the future costs required to sustain the HIV/AIDS response.
“With five African countries approaching control of their HIV epidemics, we have the extraordinary opportunity to change the very course of the HIV pandemic over the next three years,” said Ambassador Deborah L. Birx, MD, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy. “We are deeply grateful for Secretary Tillerson’s bold leadership and clear vision in launching this landmark strategy. PEPFAR is poised to deliver on it, showing that what once seemed impossible is now possible.”
“CDC is so pleased to contribute to the global HIV response, working with ministries of health and other partners on science-based solutions that are transforming some of the world’s most severe HIV epidemics,” said CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald, MD. "National surveys are critical to show the impact of efforts and to chart the path to fully achieve HIV epidemic control."
While the PHIA results demonstrate tremendous progress, they also reveal key gaps in HIV prevention and treatment programming for younger men and women that require urgent attention and action. In all six surveys, young women and men under age 35 were less likely to know their HIV status, be on HIV treatment, or be virally suppressed than older adults. These gaps are all areas in which PEPFAR will continue to invest and innovate under its new strategy. In particular, PEPFAR will continue to advance efforts to reduce HIV incidence among adolescent girls and young women through the DREAMS Partnership and reach and link more young men to HIV services.
“The findings from the six countries provide a report card on the global and local efforts in confronting the HIV epidemics while at the same time help in shaping a blueprint for their future course as they continue their quest to stem this epidemic,” said Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, MPH, MPA, global director of ICAP. “The gaps identified in reaching young women and men are relevant to many other countries around the world, and addressing them is critically important to achieving the ultimate goal of ending this epidemic.”
**Tuesday 19 September 2017 **
The following is a joint blog by Kevin Watkins and Kate James, Chief Corporate Affairs and Global Marketing Officer, Pearson.
The world is witnessing the highest levels of human displacement on record since World War II. Of the unprecedented 65.3 million people forced from their homes, almost one-third are refugees, seeking protection from violence or persecution.
The majority of refugee children have lost not only their home, but also their education – so often the first casualty of conflict and emergencies. And, in so many developing countries to which refugees flee, governments already struggle to keep up with the demand for education. To meet the needs of child refugees, they have to increase school places, train more teachers, and provide quality learning materials for countless newcomers, who may not speak the language of instruction and have frequently missed out on three to four years of schooling.
There’s a disconnect: Ask a South Sudanese refugee in Uganda or a Syrian refugee in Jordan to list their priorities, and quality education – and the impact it could make on their life – will always figure prominently. And yet, only 2% of humanitarian funding in the world goes toward education.
We must take urgent action on the failure to respond to education needs in conflict and emergencies. For refugee children who have lost everything, education is something no one can take away from them. It’s the key to employment – and ultimately, to a better life. They know their future is on the line. And their ambition, resilience, and sheer drive for education is both awe inspiring and humbling.
Depriving children their right to an education has far greater consequences on society. The countries they fled from will one day need their skills to rebuild. Refugee children are the farmers, doctors, teachers, and scientists of the future – jobs that hinge critically on gaining the skills that education can deliver.
Children demand an education – the world is starting to listen
The time has come for world leaders to listen to children – and this week, at the United Nations General Assembly, they have an opportunity. It is now two years since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and one year on from the 2016 Leaders’ Summit on Refugees where the international community promised to provide child refugees with an education within a few months of arrival. This recognition of the importance of refugee education brings real hope and possibility for change but we must hold world leaders to account – for fulfilling their promises to children who demand an education.
Shining a light on promising practices in refugee education
Delivering refugee education is one of the world’s most intractable education challenges and the need for innovative, scalable educational solutions has never been more urgent. We want to help tackle this challenge, but we know we can’t do it alone.
That’s why through Promising Practices in Refugee Education, a joint initiative of Save the Children, UNHCR and Pearson, we set out to identify, document and promote innovative ways to effectively reach refugee children and young people with quality education. Our report, launching on Friday, synthesises the key findings and lessons learned from the initiative, and sets out critical recommendations for improving refugee education policy and practice.
Getting Every Last Child Learning
We’ve also extended our Every Child Learning partnership and, last week, we launched our ambitious pilot education project in Jordan, in partnership with the Ministry of Education. Our project illustrates how the private sector can collaborate with the public sector to open up new opportunities and make the biggest impact for refugee children.
The crisis in Syria has had a devastating impact on children’s lives, depriving millions of an education; these children are in danger of becoming a lost generation, set back decades by a brutal war. Our new programme will help Jordanian and Syrian children to accelerate their learning and improve their wellbeing.
The project consists of a fun and engaging maths learning app, “Space Hero” (Batlalfada), developed by Pearson in close collaboration with refugee and Jordanian children using learner-centred design approaches. The app aims to help children to improve their maths skills as they follow the story of the main character, Shehab (Arabic for shooting star), and his journey back to earth. It’s available on Google Play to download for free, so that children can access learning anywhere at any time.
The app supports a broader Save the Children led in-school programme focusing on teacher professional development, school-community relations, after-school learning and psychosocial support. This innovative partnership has the potential to transform hundreds of thousands of children’s lives in Jordan, as well as other emergency and conflict settings globally.
Achieving more together
Whilst the challenges of providing education to the world’s refugee children are multiple and varied, with sustained attention, a commitment to creativity, innovation and partnerships, together with sufficient political will, we believe they can, and must, be overcome, so that ultimately every refugee child has access to a quality education.
his report takes its inspiration from the United Nations Secretary-General’s Every Woman Every Child initiative, which calls for countries to do everything possible to protect the lives and futures of all women, children and adolescents. It follows the approach used for the
State of the World’s Midwifery 2014 report, but focuses on 21 of the 23 countries in the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) East and Southern Africa region.
The report has been coordinated by the UNFPA East and Southern Africa Regional Office. It provides an evidence base to support policy dialogue at national and regional levels, to assist countries in the region to meet the challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals relating to sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health (SRMNAH).
A strong workforce is essential to the success of UNFPA’s strategies for improving SRMNAH – increased coverage of skilled attendance at birth, family planning, postnatal care and emergency obstetric care.
Understanding the current state of the SRMNAH workforce is necessary to identify the specific challenges, gaps and bottlenecks which need to be addressed in order to strengthen the workforce, and to consider suitable strategies for overcoming them.
The evidence and analysis in this report are structured according to the four domains that determine whether a health system and its workforce are providing effective coverage, i.e. whether women are obtaining the SRMNAH care and services they want and need. These four domains are: availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality.
All countries, whether their potential met need estimate is high or low, should address the identified challenges to the provision of an SRMNAH workforce that is accessible, acceptable and of high quality. Depending on the country context, this may require action in several areas.
Speech by ICRC President Peter Maurer, High-Level Humanitarian Event on South Sudan, United Nations General Assembly, 72nd session.
The humanitarian situation in South Sudan today is rapidly deteriorating, spiralling further and further out of control. The numbers of people affected run into the millions and comprise a significant proportion of the country’s population.
The impact of the conflict has gone far beyond the frontlines of war: sparking food shortages, an economic crisis and causing a massive displacement of people.
Last month, I visited ICRC operations in Juba, Jonglei, Old Fangak and Wau, as well as refugee camps in neighbouring Uganda. I saw widespread suffering, compounded by the recent surge in fighting. And I grow increasingly concerned at the violations of International Humanitarian Law by all sides and the brutality being dealt out to civilians.
Indiscriminate attacks, targeted killings, forced disappearances, systematic rape and other forms of sexual violence are the realities of life in war-torn South Sudan.
Ongoing violence is causing massive displacement, uprooting almost a third of the population. Some flee in fear and others are forced, in contravention of international humanitarian law.
Even in places where frontline fighting has subsided, there remains a general climate of fear and intimidation for those left behind. Targeted attacks continue, fuelling insecurity and making a normal life all but impossible.
Medical needs are rising, and ICRC has seen an increase in the number of medical evacuations and wounded treated in ICRC-supported hospitals. With enormous health needs, and scarce facilities, it is shocking that we see health workers and life-saving medical facilities come under attack.
ICRC remains very concerned about the killing, intimidation and obstruction of health workers and patients, and the looting and armed intrusion in hospitals by various armed groups.
South Sudan is one of the most deadly places in the world for humanitarian workers. But we can never accept that this is acceptable, inevitable, or anything other than an outrageous violation.
As we meet, ICRC is grieving the recent loss of two of our colleagues, one from our delegation in Afghanistan, the other in South Sudan. Lukudu Kennedy Laki Emmanuel was killed when returning from an aid distribution in Western Equatoria. He was a husband, a father of seven and he was killed when coming to the aid of others. We condemn this act, and the deaths of so many other humanitarian workers.
"Despite the enormous difficulties and risks, ICRC continues its commitment to the people of South Sudan. It is our second largest operation, and our neutral, impartial approach means we can work in close proximity to people in both government and opposition-held areas."
But the fact remains that our work is unsustainable if political actors, including regional powers, do not step up to resolve the political crisis at the centre of the suffering. Without an engaged and determined effort to reignite the political process and a durable cease-fire, the humanitarian situation will only continue to deteriorate.
We also call on armed forces to end impunity for attacks against civilians and humanitarian workers:
We call on regional actors, as well as influential political and traditional leaders to do their part in engaging with all the parties to the conflict on the importance of compliance with International Humanitarian Law.
It’s time to start a new chapter in the troubled history of South Sudan: the people of this young nation deserve the opportunity to live in safety, dignity and peace.
SG/SM/18703-REF/1254
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the General Assembly side event on refuges and migrants titled “Follow-up to the New York Declaration: One Year On”, in New York today:
I would like to express my deep solidarity to the Government and the people of Mexico. Unfortunately, we are having every day a new dramatic event in this part of the world. This time we cannot blame climate change; it is an earthquake. It is a devastating one. I want to express my very deep solidarity to the Government and to the people of Mexico.
One year ago, the Member States of the United Nations came together unanimously to adopt the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants. This Declaration was a strong endorsement of the need for greater international cooperation on this issue. It was a landmark in our efforts to find compassionate and people-centred solutions to the challenges we face. And it provided a pathway towards two global compacts to be adopted in 2018; one for refugees and the other for safe, orderly and regular migration.
The global compact on refugees will help the global community find more equitable ways to share the responsibility for refugees, including support to the countries and communities who host them. It will build on the commitments for refugees in the New York Declaration, particularly the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework, and will aim to enhance the international community’s response to large movements of refugees and protracted refugee situations.
The global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration will seek to enhance international cooperation in governing migration and focus attention on migrants, the people they leave behind and the communities they join. It will aim to protect the vulnerable; leverage the many benefits migrants bring to their host and home countries; and tackle the drivers of irregular and forced migration. Nearly half of all migrants are women and girls, and the global compact must be fully responsive to their needs and to their voices.
We are now at the halfway point towards agreeing on these compacts. While much has been accomplished, a lot of work remains.
I believe there are five priority areas for our efforts in the next year. First, we need to re-establish the integrity of the refugee protection regime. Refugee protection is not a matter of generosity or a show of solidarity. It is an obligation under international law, starting with the 1951 Convention and encompassing many other binding instruments. But, we have seen more and more borders closed and asylum claims rejected. Safe and dignified return home is not possible for most refugees, but those from the Global South in particular are facing severe restrictions on their resettlement opportunities. All countries have the right to manage their borders in a responsible way. But, they also have a duty to protect the rights of refugees, and also the human rights of all people on the move, rather than abandoning them to overcrowded camps and abject poverty.
Second, we need to develop national and international cooperation mechanisms that take human mobility into account. Migration is not a new phenomenon; nor is it creating the dramatic threat many talk about. Most migrants move in an orderly way between countries and make an overwhelmingly positive contribution to their host countries and their homelands.
It is unregulated and forced migration that creates problems especially for migrants, who take life-threatening risks and are exploited by traffickers and smugglers, but also for host countries who are concerned about the control over their borders. The solution to these problems is to take migration into account in all policymaking and international cooperation mechanisms; from the humanitarian, human rights, demographic and development points of view, as well as the economic, environmental and political aspects of this issue.
Third, we need greater accountability for the human traffickers and smugglers who profit from exploiting the despair of the most vulnerable. These criminals often enjoy impunity as they work across borders, using the international financial system for their own advantage. Treating human beings as cargo and contraband is completely unacceptable, and those who do so must face the full force of the law. We must simultaneously provide adequate protection for their victims, who are many times treated as if they were criminals themselves.
Fourth, we will not end the tragedies we see on the Mediterranean, the Andaman Sea, the Gulf of Aden and elsewhere without creating more opportunities for regular, safe, legal migration and cooperating more effectively.
As I told the General Assembly yesterday: I myself am a migrant. I am working now in the United States. Many of my staff and the ambassadors around can only be considered as such. But, we arrived in comfort and safety, on regular scheduled flights with our suitcases and everything was fine. We didn’t have to pay traffickers or risk our lives to find employment outside our countries of birth.
As I said yesterday, safe migration cannot be limited to the global elite. Rather than denial and stigmatization, we need a realistic approach that includes increased opportunities and legal pathways, which would bring great benefits to both migrants and the societies they join.
Fifth and finally, we are facing a rapidly changing global employment landscape that will drastically alter labour markets. We must think seriously about the effects of skills shortages and automation. Any new cooperation mechanism on migration must be future-focused and take these transformational changes into account. The artificial intelligence impact will dramatically change labour markets in the year to come and will also change international relations and the fabric of society. This is something we need to start thinking about before we suffer the consequences.
Of the many global challenges we face, human mobility is one of the most paradoxical and misrepresented. To take just one example: the number of refugees that entered Uganda from South Sudan last year was three times greater than the number of those who crossed the central Mediterranean. But, we all know that the movement across the central Mediterranean led to a crisis in public confidence and political debate in many countries, while the situation in Uganda — a relatively small country with enormously generous people — went largely unreported by the global media.
The vast majority of refugees are hosted by developing countries. Likewise, South-South migration now exceeds South-North. Many of the negative perceptions about so-called “economic migrants” fuel xenophobia and intolerance, but are based on false assumptions and poor analysis. The media has a critical role to play here, distinguishing fact from fiction and deconstructing stereotypes that have long outgrown any basis in reality.
I believe we can and must find a way through, based on a humane, compassionate, people-centred approach that recognizes every individual’s right to safety, protection and opportunity.
I thank everyone involved for their work so far, particularly Special Representative Arbour, High Commissioner Grandi and Director-General Swing. And I call on all to continue your efforts in a spirit of solidarity, cooperation and ambition. Knowing that, with Mexico and [Switzerland] leading the General Assembly procedure, we are on the right track.
For information media. Not an official record.
