DESTACADOS

• 19 desastres naturales afectaron a cerca de 552,000 personas en la región, durante el primer trimestre de 2013. Las inundaciones afectaron al 71 por ciento del total.

• Brasil es el principal donante de la región, aportando $106 millones para la respuesta humanitaria, desde el 2000.

• Un fuerte compromiso por parte de los socios humanitarios es necesario sobre el tema de la violencia. 41 de las 50 ciudades más peligrosas del mundo están en América Latina y el Caribe.

Cerca de 1.500 menores se beneficiarán en Colombia, donde ECHO, el departamento humanitario europeo, y ACNUR llevan a cabo uno de los cuatro proyectos en el mundo a los que la Unión Europea ha destinado el dinero del galardón

QUITO, Ecuador, 15 de abril de 2013 (ACNUR) - Con el fin de apoyar a aquellos niños y niñas que viven en zonas de conflicto, el Departamento de Ayuda Humanitaria y Protección Civil de la Comisión Europea, ECHO, lanza hoy en Ecuador la iniciativa Children of Peace (‘Niños de Paz’), que será ejecutado por ACNUR, Agencia de Naciones Unidas para los Refugiados.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Forced displacements increase.

• Illegal mining has become a protection concern and a driver of the conflict.

• The documentation of gender-based violence shows strong links to armed violence in Colombia.

• The rainy season began in March; more than 50,000 people were affected on the Pacific Coast.

• The new Humanitarian Coordinator arrives in April.

HIGHLIGHTS

• ICRC President visits Colombia, states that work remains to be done to respond to armed violence.

• Armed violence is steady in February compared with January.

• A 6.9-magnitude earthquake hits the southwest Pacific coast, affecting a conflict-prone region.

• Child protection and shelter identified as important needs.

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, today received from the Permanent Observer of Germany to the organization, Peter Ammon, the commitment of the European country to contribute 500,000 Euros (approximately $650,000) to the Mission to Support the Peace Process in Colombia (MAPP-OAS).

February 20, 2013

BOGOTA, Colombia―Canada will assist landmine survivors in Colombia, including children and youth, with their recovery and reintegration into society thanks to $2.93 million in support over four years. The Honourable Diane Ablonczy, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas and Consular Affairs), made the announcement today on behalf of the Minister of International Cooperation, the Honourable Julian Fantino, during her visit to Bogota, as part of her mission to Central and South America.

Key messages

• The Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department, ECHO, has supported South America for the last two decades, providing funds to assist the people most affected by disasters in the region: earthquakes, floods, landslides, droughts, cold waves, volcanic eruptions and epidemics.

Media Note Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
February 11, 2013

The United States is pleased to announce an initial contribution of over $171 million toward the 2013 operations of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).