Around 6.5 million people were newly displaced, almost twice as many as the 3.5 million during 2011. The conflicts in Syria and DRC were responsible for around half of the new displacements.

Allow Access to EU Territory, Step Up Assistance in Region

DECEMBER 23, 2012

(Brussels) – The European Union and its member states should do more to help the thousands of Syrian asylum seekers trying to reach Europe as the Syrian crisis worsens and winter sets in, Human Rights Watch said today.

Executive Committee of the High Commissioner’s Programme

Sixty-third session

Geneva, 1-5 October 2012

Update on UNHCR’s operations in Europe

A. Situational analysis including new developments

In the first half of 2012, more than 154,000 asylum applications were lodged in the 38 European countries for which UNHCR compiles statistics. Some 122,500 of the applications were made in European Union (EU) member States. Europe continued to receive large numbers of unaccompanied and separated children (UASC).

06/27/2012 01:51 GMT

by Jean-Louis Doublet

NICOSIA, June 27, 2012 (AFP) - Cyprus, which on July 1 will assume the rotating presidency of the European Union, is ready with its European partners to evacuate refugees from Syria, the foreign minister said.

"We are only 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the shores of Syria and Lebanon. Anything that goes wrong there will affect us," Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis said in an interview with AFP.

GA/11256 　　

Sixty-sixth General Assembly
Plenary
117th Meeting (AM)

The General Assembly today, acting on the recommendations of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), adopted a peacekeeping budget of just more than $7 billion for the period 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2013.

The funding approved today — for 14 peacekeeping missions, the Logistics Base in Brindisi and the peacekeeping support account — is broken down as follows:

Mission Total Appropriation

MINURSO ( Mission for Referendum in Western Sahara) $60.79 million　

GA/AB/4034

Also Approves Budgets for 4 Political Missions, Text on Cross-Cutting Issues, Including Near $60 Million Supplemental Payment to Troop-Contributors

The Fifth Committee today concluded its second resumed substantive session by recommending financial arrangements for 14 United Nations peacekeeping operations, which, once endorsed by the General Assembly, would total slightly more than $7 billion.

GA/AB/4028

Sixty-sixth General Assembly
Fifth Committee
32nd Meeting (AM)

Some Speakers Call for Strict Budgetary Discipline; Others Warn Arbitrary Cuts, Resource Reduction Targets ‘Grave Error’

How to improve resistance to damage of important infrastructures and their functioning without interruption during and after hazardous events is the main focus of the workshop on Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Mitigation for Critical Facilities’ Failure organised by the EU-funded PPRD South Programme in Cyprus, from 21 to 23 March 2012.