Searching MH370

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photo credit: U.S. Pacific Fleet via photopincc

After days of speculations and rumors, attention seems to have moved away from the passengers who boarded the MH370 flight with stolen passports. It is possible that they were ordinary irregular migrants, some even suggested they were refugees, in search of a better future . While what went on on the aircraft is obviously of great relevance, firm answers are hard to find unless the aircraft or its wreckage are found. This takes me to a few questions and hypotheses to which, perhaps unsurprisingly, mainstream media have to date paid little attention.

After 9/11, would an aircraft that suddenly disappear from civilian radars but is still traceable on military ones AND on an unauthorized route trigger a (very) rapid military response including interception and eventually shooting down? Is it then possible that the international ‘search’ for the above aircraft is (at least…

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New resources: ‘Parenting the Missing’ (Refugee Law Project documentary)

Source: Forced Migration Discussion List.

New resources: ‘Parenting the Missing’ (Refugee Law Project documentary)

We are delighted to invite you to view our new short documentary: “Parenting the Missing” by following the link http://refugeelawproject.org/component/allvideoshare/video/latest/parenting-the-missing-suffering-ambiguous-and-unclear-loss-of-missing-children.html.

The ICRC recently estimated that more than 12,000 persons disappeared during the Government of Uganda – Lord’s Resistance Army conflict. Their whereabouts remain unknown to date.

The full numbers of disappeared in Uganda as a whole remain a mystery, but the relatives of the missing continue to grieve, even years after the person disappeared, unable to find closure. Cultural mechanisms for dealing with loss are themselves at a loss when confronted with the ambiguities of disappearance, and there is currently little space within Uganda’s transitional justice debates to discuss the needs and challenges of the families of the missing.

Unlike Argentina, where the mothers of the disappeared formed into the “Asociación Madres de Plaza de Mayo” (Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo), the parents, relatives and friends of the missing in Uganda have yet to organize, and thus suffer their loss in obscurity and silence.

This 15 minutes documentary is helping to break this silence: Four parents of missing persons voice what it means to them to suffer ambiguous and unclear loss. They recount their emotional hardships, their difficulties in life, and their perceptions of blame and forgiveness.

We hope that the testimonies in this short documentary will inspire the Ugandan government, CSOs, NGOs, donor countries, scholars and opinion leaders to take this issue seriously and engage with survivor populations who have missing relatives.
Please share the link http://refugeelawproject.org/component/allvideoshare/video/latest/parenting-the-missing-suffering-ambiguous-and-unclear-loss-of-missing-children.html in the format best suited to you, and if you have any comments, please direct them to info@refugeelawproject.org

New Publications on NGOs; media and humanitarian information; Democratic Republic of Congo; and Education

A collection of newly released reports and publications on Refugee and Forced Migration issues:

The 1612 Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism: A Resource Pack for NGOs.
By Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict.

On 4 March 2014, Watchlist launched its new “Resource Pack on NGO Engagement in the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM)” co-developed with UNICEF. Hosted by the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations on UN premises, the launch event included presentations by Watchlist, UNICEF and Watchlist’s civil society partner from Colombia, COALICO. Especially developed for the civil society organizations engaging with the UN-led MRM in the field, the Resource Pack offers NGOs a range of tools to help them define whether and how to engage in the MRM in a way that strengthens both their programs and the mechanism itself.
(Source: ReliefWeb).

[Download Full Report]

Supporting the media and humanitarian information and communication in a complex emergency – Roundtable Report.
By International Media Support.
[Download Full Report]

Everyday Emergency: Silent Suffering in Democratic Republic of Congo.
By Médecins Sans Frontières.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) is in the grip of an emergency. For two decades, persistent conflict in its eastern provinces, instability in other regions and a dysfunctional health system have led to recurrent humanitarian crises and outbreaks of disease.
(Source: ReliefWeb).

[Download Full Report]

Education Under Attack 2014.
by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack.

Schools and universities, as well as students, teachers, and academics are intentionally targeted for attack in conflicts worldwide, the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack said in a 250-page study released today. “Education Under Attack 2014” identifies 70 countries where attacks occurred between 2009 and 2013, including 30 where there was a pattern of deliberate attacks.
(Source: ReliefWeb).

[Download Full Report]

 

New Reports and Publications on Natural Disasters; South Sudan; Violence Against Women; Pacific Island Countries; and Refugees inJordan

A collection of newly released reports and publications on Refugee and Forced Migration issues:

Natural Disasters in the Middle East and North Africa: A Regional Overview
Published by the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, and Others.

In the Middle East and North Africa (MNA) , the interplay of natural disasters, rapid urbanization, water scarcity, and climate change has emerged as a serious challenge for policy and planning. This report aims to establish a more strategic and collaborative framework between the World Bank and its international partners, particularly United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) and UN Development Program (UNDP), in order to assist MNA countries to shift from disaster response to proactive risk management.
(Source: ReliefWeb).

[Download Full Report]

Inter-Agency Appeal for the South Sudanese Refugee Emergency (January – December 2014).
By UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

On 15th December 2013, violence broke out in South Sudan’s capital Juba and quickly spread to other locations in the country. Since the beginning of the crisis, seven out of the country’s ten states have been affected by the continuing internal conflict with Central Equatoria, Jonglei, Lakes, Unity and Upper Nile states being the hardest hit. Almost 705,800 people have been internally displaced across the country, including 74,000 seeking shelter in the compounds of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) bases. Externally, another 204,469 have sought asylum in the neighbouring countries, in particular Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda.
(Source: ReliefWeb).

[Download Full Report]

Close the Gap: How to eliminate violence against women beyond 2015.
By Oxfam.
[Download Full Report]

Hardship and Vulnerability in the Pacific Island Countries – A Regional Companion to the World Development Report 2014.
By the World Bank.

Drawing on evidence from Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Kiribati, Fiji and Vanuatu, the report finds that extreme poverty remains rare in the Pacific, but that over 20 percent of people in most countries live in hardship – meaning they are unable to meet all of their basic needs such as food, fuel and medicines.
(Source: ReliefWeb).

[Download Full Report]

Tapped Out: Water scarcity and refugee pressures in Jordan.
By Mercy Corps.

We wanted to better understand how to navigate this new environment, where a refugee crisis layers over chronic scarcity. In early 2013, I spent several weeks in Jordan interviewing hosts and refugees, international donors, water specialists, NGOs, and government representatives. The goal was to outline the scope of the challenge, capture key lessons from those living and working on the front lines, and inform future efforts.
(Source: ReliefWeb).

[Download Full Report]

How can pastoralists become displaced when they lead traditionally mobile lifestyles?

Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC)

While this is a much debated question, a new study by IDMC, NRC and the Nansen Initiative sheds light on this relatively unexplored area.  The study argues that there is in fact a ‘tipping point’ at which pastoralists fall from voluntary migration into forced displacement, and it is only in understanding the nuances of this group’s specific needs and behaviours, can we formulate a more appropriate response.

Photo Credit: EC/ECHO/Malini Morzaria, May 2012

Pastoralism is a global phenomenon, common in the arid and semi-arid areas of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, the Highlands of Latin America and in Asian countries such as Afghanistan and Mongolia. Pastoralist lifestyles vary, but they all share three characteristics: some degree of mobility, a livelihood based on livestock, and a special attachment to land, resources – particularly grazing areas and water – and markets.

Quick facts:

• Pastoral production takes place on an estimated 25% of…

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Special offer: 30% off pre-orders of The Oxford Handbook of Refugee and Forced Migration Studies

Postcards from ...

Save £28.50 on the forthcoming Handbook when you order online today*. Discount valid until 31 May 2014.

Edited by Elena Fiddian-Qasmiyeh (University of Oxford), Gil Loescher (University of Oxford), Katy Long (University of Edinburgh), and Nando Sigona (University of Birmingham), The Oxford Handbook of Refugee and Forced Migration Studies offers outstanding contributions from renowned academics and practitioners and is an essential reference for students and scholars in this field.

From the publishers

This authoritative Handbook critically evaluates the birth and development of Refugee and Forced Migration Studies, and analyses the key contemporary and future challenges faced by academics and practitioners working with and for forcibly displaced populations around the world. The 52 state-of-the-art chapters, written by leading academics, practitioners, and policymakers working in universities, research centres, think tanks, NGOs and international organizations, provide a comprehensive and cutting-edge overview of the key intellectual, political, social and institutional challenges arising from mass displacement in…

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