我們將討論SOCHUM委員會(Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee)的議題。
請大家務必將SOCHUM的Study Guide委員會導引讀物讀過。
議題有二：ㄧ為「原住民之權利」(Rights of Indigenous People)；ㄧ為「如何處置避難者」(The Treatment of Refugees)。
1.臺灣與緬甸難民
難民需求持續增加，台灣捐助緬甸難民孩童2011-02-02
4.非洲難民於18年後終在加拿大團圓（小說般的真實情節！）
A reunion to remember （Feb 09 2011）
With local help, Somali refugee joins family in Canada 18 years after separati
on
EDMONTON It was the happiest of endings, and the happiest of beginnings.
While most of Hamilton slept in the early hours of Tuesday, a family's wish was coming true at Edmonton International Airport.
There, the first sight of a thin, pale and exhausted Somali refugee drew tears and hugs from the mother and siblings who have waited 18 years to be reunited with him — since their country's never-ending civil war ripped their family apart.
Then he was a boy. Today he is a man. He spent morethan a decade believing they had been killed. His younger sisters and brothers grew up thinking he was dead.
Noor's family has been living in Canada since May 2004.
Like other refugees at the camps, Noor's family had lived on meagre rations of dried corn and vegetable oil, and slept in flimsy homemade shelters.
Noor was just 12 on the day he was separated from his family. It was 1993 and the war was in its third year when he went out to work in the field with his father, Hussein. Noor's mother, Halimo, was at home with her seven younger children, all 11 and under.
That day, looters drove into their community of Jamaame near the Indian Ocean and started firing machine-guns, killing and stealing at will as they roved over the landscape.
Noor's father told his son to wait in the field while he investigated. Hussein had nearly reached home when he was shot dead in view of his wife and younger children.
The boy in the field had no idea what was happening to the rest of his family. All he could hear was shooting and screaming. He hid, then ran in the other direction, and lived on leaves and grass and the occasional piece of bread from strangers.
For nearly a year he wandered, willing himself to survive until he felt it was safe to return to his village.
A man took him in and helped him learn English in exchange for work. So many had been killed that the man didn't know who was alive and who was dead, including the rest of Noor's family.
Halimo and her children had been spared but could not risk searching for Noor's body before they fled, taking a circuitous route that eventually led them to the camps at Dadaab.
Years later, when conflict returned to Jamaame, Noor walked to the camps, alone, in search of safety, still not knowing that his family was alive. Shortly after arriving, he learned he had missed them by mere months.
They had been resettled in Hamilton, in an experiment by the United Nations and the Canadian government that moved about 400 low-caste refugees from the camps.
By the time he reached Dadaab, Noor was 17. Had he been 16, he would have been counted as a dependent child and immediately reunited with his family in Canada. Instead, he stayed with an uncle and cousins in the camp, where he and his cousin Ahmed taught English to other refugees.
By coincidence, that cousin would be appointed as translator for a reporter and photographer from The Hamilton Spectator who were working on a newspaper series about the Somali refugees.
Ahmed introduced Noor, who was desperate to send his mother and siblings confirmation that he was alive and healthy. It was late 2005. They had heard rumours that he had survived, and later had confirmation from an official source, but there had been too many stories of identity theft and other problems for his mother Halimo to risk believing it fully.
Back in Hamilton, when she saw the photographs of her son from the camp, she finally believed it was true. He was alive.
At the time, members of East Plains United Church in Burlington were helping Noor's family adjust to their new life in Canada.
The church offered to act as Noor's sponsor, putting its name, its money and international connections behind the application, giving it weight, if not much speed.
The church continued the work after Noor's family moved to Edmonton in 2006, where most of the siblings, now in their 20s, have found work in the oil industry. Edmonton's Pilgrim United Church readily agreed to become part of the sponsorship bid.
Back in Burlington, John Durfey, a lawyer and member of the congregation at East Plains, handled most of the paperwork — a file that has grown to 25 cm thick in the five years since the process started.
In January, when he announced Noor had finally been approved for travel to Canada, Durfey said the entire congregation applauded.
“It can be frustrating, but you know there's a real live person on the other end of this communication, waiting, and is really dependent on you, frankly, for their plight,” Durfey said. “It's quite rewarding to know that although there are thousands of people out there in this situation, at least you've helped one.”
By the time he arrived in Edmonton, bearing a suitcase marked with his long file number, Noor had been travelling for two days and was exhausted.
After the kisses and hugs — a reunion that had even strangers wiping their eyes — Noor's younger brother, Abdulkadir, 26, who now builds scaffolds in the tarsands near Fort McMurray, handed him a Tim Hortons coffee. A triple triple.
“Welcome to Canada,” he said with a huge smile. “It's one of our happiest moments in the world.”
（中央社記者林憬屏曼谷1日專電）緬甸大選後，逃到泰國的難民更多，中華人權協會「台北海外和平服務團（TOPS）」長期協助
的克倫難童已突破4000人，好在來自台灣的愛心沒有中斷，中華民國外交部今天再捐款12萬美元。
台灣駐泰國代表處代表陳銘政今天與「泰緬邊境聯合會（Thailand Burma Border Consortium，TBBC）」執行長丹佛（Jack Dunford）簽署「2010-2012泰緬邊境難民營幼兒園營養午餐計畫」12萬美元協議書，與TBBC共同執行計畫的TOPS領隊李榮源見證簽署過程。
丹佛指出，台灣是唯一一個參與泰緬邊界難民協助的亞洲政府，亞洲越來越重要，他相信以後亞洲國家在參與非政府組織工作上會扮演重要角色。
丹佛向陳銘政表示，現在難民人數將近15萬人，除了台灣之外，還有16個政府捐款協助難民。今年TBBC與資深營養諮詢專家合作，著重難民營養，因此減少稻米、增加麵粉與高蛋白食物，TOPS協助的難民兒童年紀不到5歲，就是較為脆弱、需要營養的一群。
陳銘政指出，台灣代表處擔任TBBC與TOPS的橋樑，未來也會鼓勵原本就熱心慈善的僑界參與協助泰緬邊界難民。
外交部2008年11月起開始贊助泰緬難民營幼兒園營養午餐計畫，當時分2年贊助10萬美元，今年繼續捐款，12萬美元也分2年贊助，來自台灣的愛心沒有間斷。
李榮源表示，緬甸去年11月大選後，因為邊界少數民族民主克倫佛教軍（DKBA）與緬甸軍隊陸續發生戰事，難民跨越邊界逃到泰國，局勢時好時壞，難民也來來回回多次，但留在泰國境內的難民人數持續增加，其中包括幼兒。
TOPS在1996年於泰緬邊境成立泰國工作隊，1998年起在邁拉（Mae La）、翁埤央買（Umpiem Mai）、奴波（Nu Po）3個難民營裡，協助共41個托兒所兒童的學前教育
、師資訓練，並提供每個老師一個月500泰銖的津貼，以及4000個小朋友的營養午餐。
TOPS現在的援助方案除了「難民營學前兒童發展計畫」之外，還包括「泰國偏遠鄉村發展計畫」、「緬甸貧童教育服務方案」等，近年泰銖升值，讓TOPS的壓力增加不少。
外交部贊助的12萬美元將協助難童的營養午餐，不過這筆經費仍然不足，不足的部分由TBBC另外撥款協助。李榮源說，一個難民兒童一天的營養午餐費5泰銖（約與台幣等值），一年就需要400萬銖。
李榮源表示，由於物價上漲、泰銖升值，加上有些西方捐款機構的贊助計畫陸續結束，經費缺口一直是TOPS面臨的問題，現在還在尋找新的捐款單位加入，也需要各界持續善心協助。
新聞連結：中央社 http://www.cna.com.tw/ShowNews/Detail.aspx?pNewsID=201102010202
2.聯合國組織協助埃及開羅民眾渡過歷史性的抗議
UNHCR provides help and medical support to refugees in Egypt
11 February 2011
GENEVA, February 11 (UNHCR) –Amid the continuing political turmoil in Egypt, UNHCR has been working through key partners to provide financial support and medical help to refugees in Cairo while UNHCR staff have been manning telephone hotlines from their homes.
On Thursday, UNHCR partner Caritas distributed financial assistance to 150 particularly vulnerable refugees in the Egyptian capital. The refugees collected their money from a branch of Refugee Egypt on the island of Zamalek located away from the main centres of anti-government protest in Cairo, and thus easier to access. About 1,000 people in Cairo rely on this bi-monthly aid from UNHCR and there will be further distributions over the coming days.
On behalf of UNHCR, Caritas has also been providing medical care and handing out medicine and prescriptions to refugees and asylum-seekers at the Refuge Egypt Zamalek outlet.
Meanwhile, although many UN offices in Cairo are closed for security reasons, UNHCR staff members continue to work from home. UNHCR has increased a hotline for refugees, which has been in regular use. "The numbers have been circulated via social media and through NGO and community networks," spokesman Adrian Edwards told journalists in Geneva on Friday.
"We have met partner NGOs to coordinate the resumption of our protection and assistance programmes as of this week. We are also in regular contact with 16 refugee leaders and their networks to find ways to support refugees who are facing problems," he added.
UNHCR increased the number of telephone hotlines at the end of January amid growing concern about the welfare of refugees in Cairo and elsewhere. There are some 40,000 refugees registered with UNHCR in Egypt. The majority come from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Iraq, Somalia and Sudan.
Edwards said that among the calls received on the hotline was one from a handicapped Somali refugee who fled to Cairo's airport. "Working with community leaders, we arranged for her to be cared for by a Somali family," he said.
"We have heard many accounts from refugees of the kindness of their Egyptian neighbours. Several families are living with their Egyptian neighbours after their homes were looted," Edwards added.
UNHCR is also communicating with refugees via NGO partners, refugee representatives, community leaders and psycho-social workers. This communication includes information on where they can receive medical support and what to do in an emergency.
3.非洲難民與聯合國（兩則新聞）
UN urges Kenya not to turn back Somali refugees Feb.6.2011
NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 5- The United Nations has expressed concern over the rising insecurity in Somalia, saying it will worsen the humanitarian crisis created by the ongoing drought in the region.
UN Under Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos said the insecurity made it difficult to reach and assist internal refugees in need of assistance.
She noted that one in every four children in the country was extremely malnourished while at the same time asking Kenya not to send any Somali refugees back.
According to the latest country wide assessment 2.4 million Somalis are in need of emergency aid.
Ms Amos added that the figure could rise due to the deepening drought crisis.
“We will continue supporting Kenya and Somalia because this for us is about the people. There is always a face behind every statistic; it is a human tragedy what is happenin
g in Somalia,” she said.
The UN further asked Kenya to put in place long term contingency steps that would, in future, mitigate drought and its effects.
Ms Amos explained that it was difficult for the UN to get funding from its donors, in aid of humanitarian support for needy countries, as the donors insisted on long lasting solutions.
“We also need to persuade our donors that these are people who require our support. Quite frankly it is more difficult to do it when donors are not able to go into the country and actually see for themselves,” she said.
“Donors want us to shift from constantly focusing on humanitarian action, which is short term, and move to a situation where you promote sustainable measures,” she added.
The UN has also developed a horn of Africa food security strategy which brings together the leadership of Oxfam, World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization and links them together with measures being developed by Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
“So we are bringing support both at the country and regional levels. Because as you can see, droughts and floods are not things that respect boundaries,” said Ms Amos.
She argued that African countries should have climate change adaptation measures in order to build their resilience and reduce drought related emergencies.
She added that the recurring famine forced communities to move to urban areas that were unprepared to receive them.
“Last year we launched what we call a consolidated appeal for 2011 for both Kenya and Somalia for over Sh45.5 billion. Separate to that we will be looking at whether or not we need to release additional resources to tackle the drought,” she said.
UN resident representative to Kenya Aeneas Chuma added that the country should ensure livelihoods are protected and that food is available for those most at risk as the ongoing famine continues to bite.
“There is nothing new here; I mean in January and February things are generally dry. So we have taken steps to minimise the impact of the drought by providing water to th
e livestock as well as people. But these are short term measures,” he said.
Read more: http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/Kenyanews/UN-urges-Kenya-not-to-turn-back-Somali-refugees-11554.html#ixzz1DijqRbiz
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives
8名衣索比亞避難者窒息而亡 聯合國表關注
2011 二月 9 國際日報
2011 二月 9 國際日報
中新網2月9日電 據聯合國網站報道，日前，8名尋求庇護的衣索比亞人在逃往
南非的途中不幸窒息身亡，聯合國難民署對此表示高度關注。
消息稱，上週三，26名難民躲藏在一個運油的密閉集裝箱卡車裏，從莫三比克北部的馬拉坦(maratane)難民營出發，前往南非。行駛了7個小時後，卡車司機下車休息檢查時發現已經有8人窒息而亡。
聯合國難民署發言人馬赫希奇表示，從非洲之角的國家向北逃往葉門或者向南逃亡南非的路程漫長而凶險，很多逃難者都在途中遇難。今年1月，8名索馬利亞和3名衣索比亞人在莫三比克海岸溺水身亡。去年5月，9名
索馬利亞人在逃亡途中溺水。
雖然如此，仍然有大量難民為躲避動蕩的局勢和貧困鋌而走險走上逃亡之路。而莫三比克的馬拉坦收容營目前已經成為了大量難民逃難的中轉站。
去年一年，馬拉坦收容營共收納了難民近一萬人，大部分來自索馬利亞和衣索比亞。其中大約有2500名衣索比亞難民從這裡逃往南非。
Gillard government's asylum-seeker bill has $1.9bn blowout
The Australian National Affairs
February 11, 2011
It brings the total budget this year for offshore asylum-seeker management to $761m, $457m more than last year's original budgeted $304m.
Official forward estimates in the budget for IMA management through to the 2013-14 financial year do not surpass $250m a year.
A spokesman for Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said yesterday the government was committed to working to develop a sustainable regional response to the issue of increased boat arrivals.
"As we've said before, immigration detention is expensive -- whether it's onshore or offshore," the spokesman said. "The opposition knows well the cost of detention -- they spent hundreds of millions of dollars setting up their so-called Pacific Solution when in government."
Mr Morrison said Mr Bowen needed to immediately move to overhaul budget processes due to the continuing large number of arrivals.
Asylum-seekers may help with Queensland flood clean-up
February 10, 2011
ASYLUM seekers could be released from immigration detention to help with the Brisbane flood clean-up.
Detainees would not be paid and they would not put anyone else out of work.
People in detention centres were asking was there anything they could do to help, Mr Bowen said.
People in detention centres were asking was there anything they could do to help, Mr Bowen said.
Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said the Government was simply trying to relieve pressure on its overcrowded detention system.
The Gillard government's immigration budget will blow out by $1.9 billion over the next four years, despite a $290 million boost to funding today, the Coalition claims.
Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said yesterday if the budget estimates for managing offshore asylum-seekers remained the same, the government's coffers would be significantly compromised.
"If they just held spending where it is now, there will be a $1.9bn overspend," Mr Morrison said.
Special Minister of State Gary Gray yesterday announced that the funding for irregular maritime arrivals would be boosted from $471m for 2010-11.
Speaking in parliament yesterday, Mr Gray said the total appropriation being sought this year for all government services was $1.36bn -- including a total of $290m for asylum-seeker management.
"The Department of Immigration and Citizenship will receive $290m in supplementary funding for operational costs associated with the management of offshore asylum-seekers," Mr Gray said.
The extra money was provided to assist in the costs of beds, food, security and general day-to-day IMA management.
6.泰國皇上與國內難民
皇上賜救災物資賑濟難民
2011-02-10 泰國世界日報
【本報訊】內政部防災減災廳廳長威汶昨天（9日）透露，本月4-6日，在四色菊府甘他拉腊縣發生的4次泰柬軍事衝突，造成17座民房受損，1萬6668名村民淪為難民，逃到縣城躲避戰亂。
威汶指出，據防災減災廳統計，受本月4-6日泰柬軍事衝突影響，四色菊府甘他拉腊縣兩個鎮以及邊境山區普瑪柯山一帶，有17座民房被戰火摧毀，其中7座民房全毀，10座部分損毀。隨後11個縣40個村莊的村民從邊境線緊急遷出，共有1萬6668名村民淪為難民，在甘拉他腊縣及周邊各縣避難。
防災減災廳已對難民提供多方面援助，包括派出5輛車到難民集中地點提供乾淨飲用水，並增建自來水供應系統方便民眾避難。
據悉，皇上及皇后殿下對躲避戰火的難民表示垂注，已讓皇上贊助下的叻巴差慈善基金會向難民發放數千條被褥和數千套炊具，總價值52萬多銖，這批救災物資已發到難民手中。
社會發展與國民安定部長易沙拉昨天表示，該部已為戰區難民緊急劃撥數千套帳篷，作為難民臨時居住場所，初步統計有4752個家庭因戰爭流離失所，社發部還將發放一筆救援資金。
此外，內政部昨天成立救助捐款中心，所收到的捐款和物資都將用來救助因泰柬軍事武裝衝突局勢受影響的民眾，首日收到捐款就超過327萬7000銖。行政廳廳長孟坤強調將全力照顧好泰柬邊境地區民眾的正常生活內政部昨天成立救助捐款中心，內政部常務次長威遷擔任捐款中心負責人，有意捐款的民眾可以將捐款存入泰京銀行豐那空路支行，帳號為159-0-057-33-3，開戶名稱為內政部救助泰柬邊境地區受兩國交戰影響民眾帳戶。至於捐贈物資的民眾，可以於每天上午9時到晚上9時之間，到內政部辦公大樓辦理。
內政部常務次長威遷表示，救助捐款中心成立首日就收到民眾捐款 327萬7000銖。
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