1. INTRODUCTION

La politique humanitaire de l'Union européenne est une expression de ses principes fondateurs - la solidarité, la tolérance et le respect de la dignité humaine. L'aide humanitaire, sans être un instrument de crise, est un des piliers de l'action communautaire en faveur des pays affectés par des catastrophes naturelles ou les catastrophes causées par l'homme, ainsi que par les urgences complexes liées aux conflits(1). Au regard de ses activités dans les zones de crises et au travers de sa contribution active à la promotion du respect et de l'adhésion au Droit international

1.0 - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Iran has hosted one of the largest Refugee populations in the history of humanitarian assistance. Most of the 2.3 million Afghan Refugees live in cities and villages with only a few thousand living in refugee camps. Iran has witnessed a long history of refugees arriving from Afghanistan on account of many Afghan wars. The most recent large influx a result of the 1979 Soviet invasion and the consequent internal and external wars. There are strong socio-religious ties between the hosts and the Refugees with a shared language and religion.

By Till Mayer in Bam, Iran

April 2004 ... Zarah Tahemasebzadeh sings the last stanza with a clear, high voice. Now the song is over but the children stay quiet. The only sound is a low hum from the engine of the bus taking them to their destination. A loose metal plate rattles as the bus bumps over the asphalt. Tac, tac, tac. When Zarah looks up, there are tears in her eyes. Everyone knows what the 12-year-old is feeling. Sadness casts a pall over the group.

Many long seconds later, the bus shudders to a halt. As the doors open with a soft hiss, more than 50 girls and boys

The psychological scars still linger from the devastating earthquake that destroyed almost the entire city of Bam in December 2003. The massive quake killed some 26,000 people and left 30,000 with life long injuries. Five years on people still struggle to cope while around them reconstruction continues. The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) has played a vital role in the healing process and, perhaps just as importantly, in preparing the people of Bam to minimize loss of life and property should a sudden disaster strike in the future.

Ali Hafeziyan, who spearheaded the IRCS

Highlights of a new FAO report

- As the year draws to a close, FAO's latest estimates confirm that a new record high level of global cereal production was achieved in 2008, sufficient to cover the expected increase in utilization in 2008/09 and also allow for a moderate replenishment of world reserves.

- Most of the increase in production this year has been among the developed countries, with that in the developing countries rising just marginally. In the developing group, outputs rose somewhat more among the Low-Income Food-Deficit Countries, especially in

Hormozgan province in southern Iran is no stranger to disaster. After an earthquake in 2005 left a path of devastation across the province, another earthquake in September has caused additional damage to villages still struggling to recover.

With most aid going to the mainland, several villages on Qeshm Island have been left without clean drinking water, increasing the susceptability of disease. Operation Mercy is providing water tanks that will ensure clean water for more than 3,000 families. Village committees are erecting the foundations to ensure local participation.

UNAMA: Good morning to everyone and welcome to our press conference today. My name is Nilab Mobarez from UNAMA Spokesperson's Office. Today is the prosperous and happy day of Arafat and we wish you all a very happy Eid ul-Adha for each of you and all the Afghan people.

We are joined this morning by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Representative in Afghanistan, Mr. Ewen Macleod, the International Labour Organisation's Chief Technical Advisor, Mr. Marc Vansteenkiste and Ms. Nassim Majidi of Altai Consulting who will

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Iraq is moving toward transition, but hundreds of thousands of Iraqi families inside and outside Iraq are still struggling with acute poverty, displacement and the continuing effects of conflict.

The 2009 Consolidated Appeal for Iraq and the Region aims to meet their immediate humanitarian needs, contribute to stabilisation and speed recovery. Requesting US$ 547.3 million in total, it brings an unprecedented number of humanitarian organisations together across 12 countries to support Iraqis. The appeal is presented

TORBAT-E-JAM, Iran, November 21 (UNHCR) - Visiting what he termed one of the world's best refugee camps, High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres on Friday noted Iran's long record of generosity to uprooted Afghans and called on the international community to do more to ensure they can finally go home and rebuild their lives.

"In my work I'm used to visiting the worst places in the world, where people are suffering and life is tough," Guterres told refugees at Torbat-e-Jam, a settlement housing some 5,000