The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will enter its fourth decade of engagement with the refugee crisis in Afghanistan this month.

The Soviet occupation of the country, which began in 1979, caused one of the largest movements of refugees in history with as many as six million Afghans seeking refuge in Pakistan and Iran at one point.

UNHCR has been involved with the refugee movements throughout this period.

"Our organization is a non-political, humanitarian agency," said Ewen MacLeod, UNHCR's Representative in

Geneva, Monday, Dec. 7th, 2009 - As many as 50 per cent of the world's 10.5 million refugees under UNHCR's mandate are now living in cities and towns across the globe. At least twice that number of internally displaced people and returnees are believed to be in urban settings.

"We need to abandon the outmoded image that most refugees live in sprawling camps of UNHCR tents," UNHCR High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres said. "What we are witnessing is that more and more refugees live in cities."

UNHCR policy calls for states, municipal authorities and mayors, humanitarian agencies and civil society to join forces in meeting the challenge raised by a growing refugee population in towns and cities worldwide. The challenge is especially significant in Asia.

With as many as 50 per cent of the 10.5 million refugees under UNHCR's mandate now living in cities and towns, UNHCR's new policy challenges states, municipal authorities, communities, humanitarian agencies and civil society to recognize this new reality -

What is the situation in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region?

As of 21 November 2009, 23:00 hours, Cairo time, 38,859 laboratory-confirmed cases of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 were reported to WHO by 22 out of 22 Member States of WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. Somalia has reported the first 2 cases on the beginning of November. There are 330 related deaths from Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 reported, so far, from 17 member states in the Region. These deaths were reported from Islamic Republic of Iran (100), Saudi Arabia (81), Oman (27), Syria (22), Yemen

DUBAI, 18 November 2009 (IRIN) - More people have died from H1N1 influenza in Iran than in any of the 22 countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean Region, according to WHO's 14 November update.

With 33 deaths to date, Iran made up about 17 percent of the 188 total deaths in the region since May 2009. Saudi Arabia has had 28 deaths, Oman 25 and Syria 22.

Syria had by far the highest rate of deaths to cases with 9.5 percent of all cases being fatalities. This was

JERUSALEM, 10 November 2009 (IRIN) - Aid groups and several members of parliament (MPs) are outraged by what seems to be the toughening of Israeli policy towards asylum-seekers illegally entering the country.

An “infiltration” law, the first draft of which has passed through parliament, is up for approval in the coming weeks despite efforts by NGOs to stop it. If approved, the law will regard anyone illegally entering the country as a criminal, and will allow a sentence of up to seven years for any asylum-seeker from an “enemy” country.

What is the situation in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region?

As of 31 October 2009, 23:00 hours, Cairo time, 22,689 laboratory-confirmed cases of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 were reported to WHO by 21 out of 22 Member States of WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. There are 137 related deaths from Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 reported, so far, from 14 member states in the Region. These deaths were reported from Saudi Arabia (28), Oman (25), Yemen (15), Kuwait (17), Islamic Republic of Iran (22), Iraq (7), Bahrain (6), Syrian Arab Republic (6), Egypt (3), Jordan

Mensajes principales

El estado de la inseguridad alimentaria en el mundo 2009 es el 10.=BA informe de situación de la FAO sobre el hambre en el mundo desde la Cumbre Mundial sobre la Alimentación (CMA) de 1996. En el informe se destaca el hecho de que, incluso antes de que se produjeran la crisis alimentaria y la crisis económica, el n=FAmero de personas que padecían hambre había aumentado lenta pero constantemente. Sin embargo, el inicio de estas crisis provocó el incremento pronunciado del n=FAmero de personas que padecen hambre en el mundo.

Como resultado de la crisis económica

What is the situation in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region?

As of 24 October 2009, 23:00 hours, Cairo time, 17,150 laboratory-confirmed cases of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 were reported to WHO by 21 out of 22 Member States of WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. There are 111 related deaths from Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 reported, so far, from 13 member states in the Region. These deaths were reported from Saudi Arabia (28), Oman (23), Yemen (13), Kuwait (11), Islamic Republic of Iran (16), Bahrain (6), Iraq (4), Egypt (3), Lebanon (2), Syrian Arab Republic