displaced persons

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Zelensky Talks 'One of Russia's Most Heinous War Crimes'

He says 200K children have been forcibly taken to Russia; millions of others are displaced

(Newser) - About two out of every three children in Ukraine have been displaced since war erupted nearly 100 days ago, according to the United Nations' children's agency. More than 5 million children—3 million in Ukraine and over 2.2 million in refugee-hosting countries—are in need of humanitarian assistance,...

One Landing Place for Afghan Refugees: Airbnb Homes

Hosts to lend a hand in 'one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time'

(Newser) - Airbnb opened the doors of its properties to 20,000 Afghan refugees globally Tuesday and sought assistance from hosts who rent property through the home-sharing company for more free housing for those fleeing the crisis, per the AP . "The displacement and resettlement of Afghan refugees in the US and...

Houston's Local Hero After Harvey: 'Mattress Mack'

Jim McIngvale has opened up 2 of his furniture warehouses for shelter, meals

(Newser) - Meals and comfortable places to lounge and sleep are among the most coveted amenities when holed up in a shelter after a natural disaster—but a Houston businessman has that covered in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. While Joel Osteen's megachurch is taking heat for delayed efforts to house...

Conflict Has Displaced 1 in 3 Syrians: UN

7M have been uprooted; 2M of those have fled country

(Newser) - Seven million Syrians, or nearly one-third of the population, have been displaced by the civil war that has ravaged the nation since 2011, but international aid has been a "drop in the sea" of humanitarian need, a top UN official said today. The funding gaps remain wide, with donor...

There Was a New Refugee Every 4.1 Seconds in 2012

Now 45.2M displaced people in the world—most in developing countries

(Newser) - About 7.6 million people became refugees in 2012—that's one every 4.1 seconds—bringing the total number of displaced people in the world to 45.2 million, the highest figure since 1994, reports al-Jazeera . A new report from the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees...

Entire Generation of Syrian Kids Could Be Doomed: UN

After 2 years of fighting, millions of children in serious need, says report

(Newser) - March brings the start of the third year of the Syria conflict, and UNICEF is seeing doom for the country's children. A rep for the children's aid organization warns that "the risk of a lost generation grows every hour, every day, and every month," and backs...

240 Dead, 375K in Shelters After Philippines Floods

Minister appeals for more international help as toll continues to rise

(Newser) - At least 240 people are now confirmed dead in flooding in the Philippines after more than 90 new deaths were reported in Manila. Moreover, 375,000 have been displaced by the disaster, more than double earlier official figures. As government officials appeal for international help, a BBC correspondent says getting...

Thousands Flee Sri Lanka Fighting

Rebels given 24 hours to surrender as civilians pour out of last Tiger stronghold

(Newser) - At least 25,000 civilians have fled the Tamil Tigers' last stronghold in Sri Lanka as the government prepares its final push to end the civil war, reports the BBC. Tens of thousands of civilians remain in the densely packed coastal strip, which was originally set up as a safe...

UN, US Again Blast Burma's Reluctance With Help

Insular state disappoints would-be donors; 1.5M could be affected

(Newser) - Officials the world over are expressing dismay at Burma's apparent disinterest in swift international aid to victims of the devastating cyclone that has 1 million homeless and perhaps more than 100,000 dead, Reuters reports. The US ambassador to the UN said today he was “outraged by the slowness...

In Kenya, Annan Denounces Violent 'Abuses'

Former UN head finds crisis 'tragic'; dozens more deaths reported

(Newser) - Kofi Annan, in Kenya to mediate a settlement to the brutal conflict rocking the country, condemned the "gross and systematic abuses of human rights"  he had seen on a tour of the country's worst flashpoints, the BBC reports. Dozens more gruesome deaths were reported today. Annan spoke of...

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