Among the major crises of today is the unprecedented rise of forced displacement, refugees and migration flows. By the end of 2014, approximately 60 million people have been forcibly displaced compared to 51.2 million a year earlier and 37.5 million a decade ago. In every region of the world, the numbers of refugees and internally displaced people are on the rise, and the ripple effects have been global.
Can the multilateral system strengthen global solidarity and promote shared (…)
The ICM hosted a public consultation on December 16th on its discussion paper “Forced Displacement, Refugees, and Migration.”
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The exponential rise of forced displacement, including massive migration and refugee flows, has shocked the consciences of peoples and unsettled institutions worldwide. As the humanitarian space is shrinking, many on the move today are increasingly desperate and seeking protection.
The scale and complexity of the current challenge is testing (…)
This paper addresses the current state of migration, displacement and refugee flows around the globe, looking beyond the immediate crisis stemming from Syria to the need for long term solutions. It simultaneously focuses on the challenges and opportunities faced by countries of origin, transit, and destination. It also offers key recommendations on how the multilateral system, particularly the United Nations, can adapt and respond to this unprecedented level of human mobility.
Interviews
As the number of refugees driven from their homes reaches historical highs, one is hard-pressed to see the light at the end of the tunnel, said Udo Janz, former director of the New York office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Resources are not sufficient to address the problem and UNCHR’s financing is not sustainable at the current level of displacement, he said.
Durable solutions to address the crisis are a function of governments’ political will to maintain (…)
The world has the resources and capabilities to provide for the housing, energy, water, and other needs of refugees, but lacks the financing tools to develop these solutions, according to Kilian Kleinschmidt, founder of the Innovation and Planning Agency and former senior field coordinator for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Mr. Kleinschmidt, who formerly ran the Zaatari Syrian refugee camp in Jordan, said humanitarian agencies should look at refugee camps as (…)