Refugees and IDPs: Update 28 May 2011
The amount of displaced Japanese living in evacuation centres, following on the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear threat, have diminished in numbers from 126,372 (1 May) to 115, 443. Many of the remaining IDPs are living in schools or other community buildings together with hundreds of others. Prefabricated houses, psychological and medical support, and communication services are still needed.1
The IDPs resulting from the border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia (centered around the temples of Ta Moan and Ta Krabey) have begun returning home. The truce of 28 April did not end the violence completely, and the Thai military will remain to monitor the border as parts of the border have never been formally demarcated.2
Despite the arrest of former president Gbagbo and the installment of Alassane Ouattara as the new president of Cote d’Ivoire on 21 May, stability in this Western African country has not returned. Consequently, refugees are still arriving in the neighboring and surrounding countries of Liberia, Ghana, Guinea, Togo and Benin, and more spontaneous IDP sites were reported.3
Australia’s government has announced a controversial agreement with Malaysia on the reshipment of refugees from the former to the latter. Since 2008, Australia has experienced an increase of boats arriving on its northern shore, particularly with refugeesfrom Afghanistan, Iran, Sri Lanka (Tamils), and Iraq. Malaysia currently has 90,000refugeesand has not signed the Refugeeconvention.4
Middle East – Arabic Revolution: The exodus of refugees and asylum seekers from North Africa has led to stricter border controls in Europe. The European Commission has allowed EU ‘Schengen’ states to re-erect national passport controls in response to pressure from France and Italy for more ‘Fortress Europe.’5 Refugees from Libya (mostly migrants and workers from Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan and Ivory Coast) were attacked in the Tunisian desert and refugee camp (Choucha) by local inhabitants and soldiers. Refugees got killed or injured and more than 1,000 have been left without shelter. UNHCRstaff and other humanitarian workers received death threats and were sometimes forced to withdraw.
JapaneseRed CrossSociety, Japan: Earthquake and Tsunami. Operations Update No. 3 (20 May 2011). BBC,‘Thailand-Combodia: Villagers return as clashes ease’ 2 May 2011, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asiapacific-13260511(accessed25 May 2011). 3 UNOCI, ‘Post-election crisis,’ http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/unoci/elections.shtml (accessed27 May 2011), and: UNHCR,Update no 18. d’Ivoire Situation (26 May 2011). 4 Marie-Morgane Le Moël, ‘Australia offloads its first boatload of asylum seekers,’ The Guardian (17 May 2011). 5 Ian Traynor, ‘Arabic exodus likely to lead to tighter border controls in Europe,’ The Guardian (8 May 2011). 1 2
Dissatisfaction with the presence of foreign welfare seekers is supposed to be the general motive among the Tunisian population for the attack.6
6
Tom Kington, ‘Refugeesfrom Libya attacked in Tunisian desert,’ The Guardian (25 May 2011), and: UNHCR, Update no 26. Humanitarian Situation in Libya and Neighbouring Countries (27 May 2011).