Informing humanitarians worldwide 24/7 — a service provided by UN OCHA

Chad + 4 more

Two weeks after Mumbai attacks, humanitarians move ahead with major international fuel conference in New Delhi searching for solutions against another kind of violence-sexual attacks against refugee women and girls

December 5, 2008 (New Delhi) - Every day, millions of refugee women and girls around the world risk rape, beatings-even death-as they search for the firewood they need to cook for their families. They are put squarely in harm's way as they leave the relative safety of their camps and encounter dangerous militias, corrupt soldiers and lawless rebels, and the animosity of villagers who fear their own resources being depleted. To help decrease the violence, the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children has launched a major campaign to find and promote sustainable energy and fuel alternatives that will help keep women and girls safe.

To further the technological progress already being made by engineers and scientists, entrepreneurs, universities, and NGOs, the Women's Commission will host the first-ever international conference devoted to finding alternatives. On December 11 and 12 at the Hyatt Hotel in New Delhi, India, the conference will bring these advocates together in the search for innovative solutions. Over 100 attendees, mobilizing just a few weeks after the tragic attacks in Mumbai, will be searching for ways to help spare refugee women and girls from the horrific violence they risk daily.

The Women's Commission is working with its partners UNHCR and WFP to fundamentally change the way the international community tackles the crisis and to regard cooking fuel as they do food and water-as an absolute necessity for survival. Through intensive research and field missions to such diverse settings as Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia, Thailand and Nepal, the Women's Commission is committed to helping refugees find the right fuels and cooking tools for their needs, such as clean-burning fuels, fuel-efficient stoves, and solar cookers.

Officers and directors from UN agencies, international NGOs, and the Women's Commission will be available on-site for interviews. Please contact Theresa Pantazopoulos at 00.1.917.701.7991 or theresap@womenscommission.org to arrange an interview at the Hyatt in New Delhi on December 11 or 12.