In January 2006, it was estimated that close to 50,000 Iraqis were fleeing their homes every month. [Photo: UNHCR]

The United Nations estimates that close to 1 per cent of the world’s 6.7 billion people are now displaced within their own countries, forced to flee their homes due to armed conflicts, violence, development projects and natural disasters. 

In 2007, the estimated number of people displaced by armed conflicts and violence passed the 26 million mark, the highest global total since the early 1990s. It is also estimated that each year, approximately 50 million more people are displaced due to natural disasters. 

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A boy whose house was destroyed by Cyclone Nargis that hit Myanmar in May 2008 watches an approaching storm. [Photo: UNICEF/Adam Dean]

This we know: Our planet’s climate is changing. In the past century, global temperatures have risen by 0.7 degrees and continue to rise. Weather patterns have changed. In some areas we witness more intense rain, floods and powerful hurricanes. Elsewhere, parched lands have become even more inhospitable. The forecast is for more extreme floods, storms and droughts in the future. Climate change is a global reality that will affect us all. But for many vulnerable communities worldwide, the humanitarian challenge is daunting.  Continue...

“This campaign highlights our huge concerns about the humanitarian impact of climate change. Any credible vision of the future must recognise that humanitarian needs are increasing and that climate change is the main driver. We are already seeing its effects, in terms of the numbers of people affected and in the rising cost of response.”

- John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator

Young Internally Displaced Person in Zam Zam camp in El Fasher, Darfur. Photo UN/Tim McKulka

John Holmes, the Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, and Haroun Lual, Minister for Humanitarian Affairs of Sudan, today co-chaired the High Level Committee (HLC) meeting on the implementation of the Joint Communiqué on the Facilitation of Humanitarian Activities in Darfur, reported OCHA during the daily noon briefing in New York..

John Holmes said after the meeting:  “We still regret the decision that resulted in the departure of the NGOs.  It was not justified.  The optimal way forward would be a reversal of the decision.  However, in the meantime, we need to work with the Government of Sudan to find ways forward.  It is positive that today there was a reaffirmation that we are welcome in Sudan, both for existing NGOs and new NGOs.  We need to work towards having a better operating environment than we had before March 4."

Holmes tomorrow will proceed to Southern Sudan where he will meet UN officials and representatives from the Government of Southern Sudan.  And in Southern Sudan, he will advocate for greater attention to north-south issues, the needs of civilians and a strategy for relief and recovery in Southern Sudan. 

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According to reports from those remaining inside the conflict zone, fighting has intensified with both light and heavy weapons being used, according to OCHA quoted during the daily noon briefing  on 5 May.
 
As of today, more than 188,000 people have crossed out of the conflict zone, with the vast majority accommodated in Internally Displaced Persons camps in Vavuniya.  Over 186,000 are in camps, and some 1,700 wounded and their caregivers are in hospitals. Some 50,000 or more people are still trapped in the conflict zone

In Vavuniya, there have been positive developments in addressing basic needs for the influx of IDPs. Among them, the World Food Programme has been able to accelerate food distribution in Vavuniya, and the Government of Sri Lanka has agreed that cooked meals should be provided at Omanthai screening point.
 
In Jaffna, response in the camps has been stepped up in the area of health, including the treatment of chicken pox, the provision of toilets, hygiene kits, temporary teaching space and supplementary food. Also, work to protect civilians and to facilitate family reunifications is ongoing.
 
Asked about reports of shelling, the UN Spokeswoman said that the United Nations was unable to confirm such reports independently, but added that it remains particularly concerned about the situation of the estimated 50,000 remaining civilians in the area, who are believed to be at serious risk. The United Nations also remains concerned about heavy fighting, she said.

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