#UNHCROnMission

When donating to UNHCR Canada, your funds will be directed where they are most needed, helping refugees, asylum-seekers, and stateless and internally displaced people (IDPs) around the world. In a complex environment with fast shifting needs and priorities, we depend on donors to provide charitable contributions that can be allocated as flexibly as possible. Buying a gift in UNHCR’s Shop and donating directly are both great ways to help refugees.

Right now, monsoon season is threatening Rohingya refugees. Every year between May and September, monsoon rains and heavy winds pose a severe threat to Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh. Thousands of people have been made homeless by flooding after monsoon rains inundated refugee sites in southern Bangladesh. UNHCR is on the ground with trained volunteers to help refugees strengthen and rebuild the shelters that have been impacted by the monsoons. UNHCR Canada is aiming to raise funds to provide Rohingya refugees with 1,000 shelter kits.

InnerSpeak Productions offers a license on their website for fundraiser screening events of I Am Rohingya. This allows the purchaser to host their own fundraising event and screen the film: https://www.iamrohingyafilm.com/product-page/screening-license-non-profit-fundraiser. You can fundraise for UNHCR at fundraise.unhcr.ca.

UNHCR is the lead agency for coordinating activities in many informal settlements where some 1.2 million IDPs live. Given the insalubrious and overcrowded living conditions, these sites are very prone to cholera outbreaks – as well as fires and floods. By organizing the upgrade of these sites as well as by mobilizing both IDPs and surrounding communities in addressing their own needs – including ways to prevent cholera outbreaks, UNHCR plays a key role. Unfortunately, due to lack of funding, UNHCR and its partners are only able to cover less than one third of these informal settlements (the most populated). – Jean-Nicolas Beuze, UNHCR Yemen Representative.

While the priority remains the distribution of emergency shelter kits for newly displaced families – who otherwise are homeless and live in the open subjected to the elements and additional protection risks – UNHCR has devised a number of more sustainable shelter options. In particular, it has developed a transitional shelter that can last for a few years and provide cash-for-work opportunities for both displaced and host communities that participate in the production of materials used to build shelters. A number of informal settlements where 1.2 million IDPs live have been equipped with solar-powered lamp (key to ensure the protection of women and girls at night), grey water evacuation pipes or latrines and water tanks. – Jean-Nicolas Beuze, UNHCR Yemen Representative

Unfortunately, 45 % of the 1.2 million living in informal settlements are within five kilometres from an active frontline. However, an additional 3 million IDPs live in urban centres, mainly in Hudaydah, Sana’a, Aden and Marib – a bit further away from conflict, however fighting regularly erupts in these cities as well. While we do not have precise statistics, it appears that many IDPs have been displaced more than once, and the overwhelming majority have been displaced for more than two years without any immediate prospects of returning home due to the insecurity and the lack of reintegration opportunities in their places of origin. As the protection lead actor, UNHCR leads the discussions on relocations away from potential harm, but in the context of Yemen where land and tribal dynamics are complex issues, opportunities are rare. – Jean-Nicolas Beuze, UNHCR Yemen Representative 

UNHCR conducted a review of the number of refugees and asylum seekers in Yemen in 2020 and the actual figure is now around 137,000. Most of them (more than 80%) are from Somalia while another 10% are from Ethiopia. For decades, Yemen provided a safe haven although given the level of poverty, a haven that was never a long-term or dignified solution. With the conflict and increasing negative rhetoric due to competition over scarcer resources due to the collapse of the economy due to the conflict and the COVID pandemic, safety is not anymore guaranteed as discrimination and scapegoating is on the increase. A number of refugees have thus decided to use smugglers or traffickers to cross the Gulf of Aden to return home in flimsy boats and unfortunately, UNHCR receives more and more reports of drownings. Not enough places of resettlement or private sponsorships are offered for refugees in Yemen, and UNHCR is their only source of support. Of serious concern, UNHCR receives no earmarked funding for its refugee response in Yemen as all institutional donors earmark their funding to the IDP response. As a result, UNHCR struggles to have a comprehensive response for refugees in Yemen, although it continue to provide them with a series of life-saving interventions – from cash to medical care and education. – Jean-Nicolas Beuze, UNHCR Yemen Representative

Institutional donors have indicated that the COVID dimension of the humanitarian response (throughout the world) was to be fully integrated into regular programming – in other words, there is very little funding specifically earmarked for the COVID response. UNHCR is particularly concerned, in addition to the public health dimension of the pandemic, by the socio-economic impact on COVID which will automatically impact mostly displaced communities, be they refugees or internally displaced by conflict. This is very noticeable in Yemen where these families were working in the informal sector in unskilled jobs which have all been affected by the slowing down of the economy. As a result, refugees and IDPs really struggle to make ends meet and depend more and more on UNHCR’s direct support, especially its cash assistance that is the only way they can buy food, medicine, pay rent or buy clothes for their children. – Jean-Nicolas Beuze, UNHCR Yemen Representative

The majority of displaced Yemenis (3 million) are actually renting rooms in homes located urban centres, while 1.2 million live in these informal settlements. Both the homes and land on which these settlements are located are privately owned, and therefore, IDPs pays rent to landlords – who are often in similar dire socio-economic situations. However, the reality is that many rents are not paid. The overwhelming majority of landlords are extremely generous and fully understand the situation. Solidarity is incredible. But, with the deterioration of the economy which pushes more and more Yemeni families into dire poverty (whether displaced by the conflict or not), UNHCR is receiving more and more reports of evictions or threats of evictions – putting an additional stress on these families. This is why UNHCR devised a cash scheme that is specifically addressing the needs of the most vulnerable families regarding the payment of their rents to avoid evictions and secondary displacement. Our rental subsidies are a major part of our cash interventions, but unfortunately, due to funding shortfall, UNCHR is unable to cover yearly rent. – Jean-Nicolas Beuze, UNHCR Yemen Representative

As Muslims gather in their homes around the world, many refugee families are observing the holy month of Ramadan away from their homes. Your support this Ramadan will be a symbol of solidarity and hope to the most vulnerable refugees.

This Ramadan, whether through Sadaqah or Zakat, we ask for your help to share the blessings of the Holy month. It takes a second to share the blessings of Ramadan today. Learn more on our website.

To learn more about volunteering with UNHCR, please visit our website