[UNHCR] A Safe Abode for Refugees

Written by The Economist

(Source: EU logos Athena)

Refugees should be running away from conflict and violence, not towards it.

Ismail is a 13- year-old Syrian refugee, seeking shelter in a province in Pakistan. The door to his parents’ room is closed but he could hear wails and shouts coming from the room. His father was in a bad mood again. He tried to ignore it and calm his terrified younger sister but the ear piercing cries from his mother was too hard to overlook. Ismail is one of the many children whose families are subjected to domestic violence and sexual abuse. Peacekeepers, who are supposed to provide assurance and support to refugees, have incited terror instead. Humanitarian and UN staff have been caught in these heinous acts, betraying the trust of refugees. This leaves them helpless and no one to turn to.  The United Nation Human Rights Council (UNHCR) needs to take accountability of the plight of these refugees and save them from their worst nightmares.

The council came up with many promising solutions at first. These solutions included funding, education within refugee camps, stricter policing and staff training. Ultimately, the council decided to pursue the solution of creating a separate entity to oversee the situation in refugee camps and to report and investigate any of such abuse. The entity includes the government of the host country, UNHCR personnel and a 3rd party observer state which is politically neutral. Switzerland seemed to be a potential candidate to be an observer because of its non-partisan stance. The European Union (EU) member prides itself as a neutral state which will not be involved in any armed conflict unless attacked. The main purpose of the entity is to ensure check and balance of the cases that occur in the refugee camps and manage allegations made by refugees. Their focus is law enforcement and bringing perpetrators to justice. 

Question is, will introducing a new body necessarily solve the problem? The peacekeepers have already tarnished the image of any aid that is to come. Having a new body step in to help the refugees may be counterproductive as refugees may be defensive towards them and refuse to cooperate. UNHCR decided to take an Asian parent approach: instil fear in perpetrators so that they do not repeat mistakes again and others will follow suit. To shame public officials which have carried these acts. While this may seem promising, delegates need to understand that these politicians are of high power and status. They are very influential and no matter how despicable they may seem to the global community, they still have a squad supporting them. Enraging them could backfire and lead to more unrest in the host country itself. 

Education was another main point of contention in council. Delegates prioritised provision of education to children in these refugee camps. Apart from normal academic studies, refugees will also be taught self-defence skills which will come in handy should they encounter any form of abuse. Both forms of education are sacrosanct in helping refugees get back on their feet and be independent. Education is important for families to rebuild their lives after the plight they have been through.  Problem comes in making this education accessible for children. Children live in fear everyday. Despite being in camps, they are prone to airstrikes and invasions by troops. Even their daily commute to schools put them at risk of physical or sexual abuse. This may lead to parents hesitating to enrol their children in schools despite its advantages. The covid-19 pandemic has not made this any easier. Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are exploring the idea of online learning in these host countries to make learning more accessible for children. However the extent of these online programmes remain unknown. UNHCR has yet to unpack this problem. 

As long as war persists, the refugee crisis will continue. The recent withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan and Taliban rule will result in more refugees fleeing to neighbouring countries such as Pakistan and Iran. Developed countries have agreed to take in some refugees through special programmes but with limited capacities. For children like Ismail, their future looks bleak. All they can do is hope and pray for the best.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

[UNHCR] Exiting Afghanistan: Biden’s Big Blunder

Written by Wall Street Journal Upon American troops’ evacuation from Afghanistan, Kunduz and other provincial capitals fell to the Taliban within just 48 hours. On April 14, 2:29PM, President Biden announced that “more and endless American military force could not create or sustain a durable Afghan government”. A bold claim, especially since following American troops’ evacuation from Afghanistan, Kunduz and other provincial capitals proceeded to fall to the Taliban within a mere 48 hours. Biden’s controversial decision to pull out American troops from Afghanistan was not received well internationally, with news agencies such as BBC and NPR  stating that “As Kabul falls, Biden backlash grows” and that “Republicans were scathing about the White House’s actions, and Democrats, while acknowledging that President Biden was carrying out the policies of his predecessor, criticized the haphazard manner of the U.S. withdrawal.” In addition, how relinquishing a large amount of support from A...
Read more

[G20] A Delicious Outcome for Food Security

Written by Daily Mail After yet another day of productive discussions, the council of G20 has achieved not one, but multiple agreements and articles, a feat that may seem far-fetched to other councils. Amongst the agreements and discussions said, some key ideas stood out more than others, such as technology that is more sustainable and efficient, together with the use of genetic engineering. Creations of various different aids and funds have also pushed the council to greater heights, ensuring that the council progresses forward as a whole. The council plans to use “a kind of genetic engineering, which is a kind of controversial, as the GMO that we currently have at the moment”, as said by the delegate of Italy, who claims to be the unofficials spokesperson of the G20, alongside the delegate of Spain. The delegate of Italy also stated that, “the council believes that research into mutated genesis will be extremely beneficial in reducing the impact of climate change going forward”, in a...
Read more

[UNCTAD] No More Silence

Written by RT      RT has interviewed the Delegates of New Zealand and the United States of America to better understand their viewpoints regarding the mitigation of fallouts of the US-China Trade War.      RT chose to interview the Delegate of New Zealand based on her claim that the Trade War has not created a great impact on its nation. However, New Zealand also believes in shifting away from the US and China as economic powers.      The Delegate of the USA has remained relatively silent during the council sessions. As one of the large countries in question, RT hopes to find out more about the views of the US regarding the damage they have caused due to the Trade Wars. But can we really stop the silence? Q: To the delegate of New Zealand, you have mentioned that the US-China Trade War has minimal consequences on your nation, so why would you be willing to incur high administrative costs to diversify your supply chain? A: “By switching suppl...
Read more