NATURAL DISASTERS IN 2012

After an intense year of natural disasters in 2011, countries in the Asia-Pacific region welcomed a reduction in the number of events in 2012. OCHA and the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters recorded 93 natural disaster events in 2012, in which over 3,200 people were killed and more than 75 million people were affected. China and the Philippines experienced the most disasters in 2012.

Tchad – L’OIM et la Direction du développement et de la coopération (DDC) ont signé hier un projet de stabilisation communautaire d’une durée de deux ans, visant à soutenir les moyens d’existence des migrants tchadiens de retour de Libye, qui vivent actuellement dans trois régions septentrionales, à la frontière de la Libye, du Niger et du Soudan.

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.

This is a summary of what was said by the UNHCR spokesperson at today’s Palais des Nations press briefing in Geneva.

GENEVA, 16 October 2012

BRIEFER: Adrian Edwards, UNHCR Spokesman

Press Briefing Notes Friday 5th October 2012 Spokesperson: Jean-Philippe Chauzy

The Swiss Federal Office for Migration (FOM) has contributed US$ 300,000 towards IOM's evacuation operations of most vulnerable migrant workers caught up in the Syrian crisis.

IOM will use the contribution to evacuate up to 250 extremely vulnerable Third Country Nationals (TCNs). These include minors, the elderly, pregnant women, people in detention due to their irregular status, those with medical conditions and nationals of countries with no diplomatic representation in Syria.

Suisse - L’Office fédéral suisse des migrations (ODM) a fait don de 300 000 dollars pour financer les opérations d’évacuation des travailleurs migrants les plus vulnérables pris dans la crise syrienne. L’OIM utilisera les fonds pour évacuer jusqu’à 250 ressortissants de pays tiers extrêmement vulnérables. Il s’agit notamment de mineurs, de personnes âgées, de femmes enceintes, de personnes détenues en raison de leur statut irrégulier, de cas médicaux et de ressortissants de pays qui n’ont aucune représentation diplomatique en Syrie.

IOM Zimbabwe has received CHF 800, 000 from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooporation (SDC) to implement a 17-month project to support community integration of internally displaced people (IDPs) in Zimbabwe.

The project seeks to facilitate the transition of IDPs towards durable solutions and to strengthen protection for both IDPs and marginalised groups in districts affected by internal displacement and irregular migration. IDPs in Zimbabwe are vulnerable and have very limited access to basic and social services.

The Swiss Cooperation Office in Afghanistan celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2012. Subject to fundamental changes, Afghanistan is one of the so-called “fragile” states. Given this complex and volatile context, the SDC is stepping up its commitment in an effort to prevent the achievements so far from being undone. Elisabeth von Capeller, head of the Division South Asia, visited the country from 6–11 June 2012 and shares her impressions.

SDC Humanitarian Aid (HA)

The Swiss Confederation’s Humanitarian Aid is active since 1994 in the Myanmar context (the country itself including the refugee camps in Thailand), which became since 2001 a priority for SDC/HA with the presence of a Regional Humanitarian Coordinator responsible for SDC/HA activities in Thailand and Myanmar.

In the Medium Term Programme 2010 -12 SDC/HA goals are to restore and improve the living conditions and reduce vulnerability of people at risk. SDC/HA supports projects with the following objectives: