| Millions displaced by four years of conflict in Yemen. Four years since the conflict in Yemen began, Al Jazeera reports from northern Hajjah province where fighting has intensified since the start of the month, forcing more people from their homes. Some families have been displaced multiple times and are living in desperate conditions. More than 420,000 displaced people are now living in hundreds of makeshift settlements and the number keeps rising, according to the UN. Throughout the country, the conflict has also devastated the economy, pushing up food prices and leading to widespread hunger. The World Bank estimates that poverty has increased by a third since 2014 and that 52 percent of the population are now living in poverty. Local aid worker Ola Fattah writes for Metro about how four years of war have changed her country and her family. | |
| Funds urgently needed for displaced Cameroonians, says UNHCR. Violent clashes in Cameroon between the military and armed separatists over the past 13 months have displaced more than 437,000 people within the country and another 35,000 across the border into Nigeria. In a briefing in Geneva on Tuesday, UNHCR said the situation for displaced Cameroonians was deteriorating, partly as a result of the severely underfunded humanitarian response. Those who fled with very little are arriving to impoverished host communities where food supplies are under pressure and water, sanitation, health and education facilities are scarce. As fighting continues, UNHCR said there were fears that more people will be displaced over the coming months. The agency is asking donors to step up support for its operations in Cameroon and Nigeria. | | |
| Four dead as boat sinks off coast of Turkey. Three women and a baby died on Tuesday morning when the dinghy they were travelling in sank off the north-western coast of Ayvacik in Turkey, reports Reuters. The Turkish coast guard said 11 others were rescued. The boat was reportedly heading for the Greek island of Lesvos. Its 15 passengers were from Afghanistan and Iran. More than 4,300 refugees and migrants have arrived to Greece by sea so far this year while another 2,200 have arrived by crossing the land border from Turkey. | | |
| Refugees face widespread sexual violence in Libya, finds report. A new report by the Women’s Refugee Commission has found “exceptionally high” levels of sexual violence against male and female refugees and migrants along the entire Central Mediterranean route to Europe. In Libya, sexual violence was described by refugees and migrants interviewed for the study as so widespread that it was “normal” and “happened to everyone”. The sites of violence reported included detention centres, clandestine prisons, checkpoints and in the context of forced labour. In many cases, sexual violence and torture are filmed on Skype and used to extract ransoms from the victims’ families, the report found. | | |
| Cash transfers help Syrian kids return to school in Turkey. AFP reports that small cash grants are helping 460,000 Syrian refugee children in Turkey stay in school . With funding from international donors including the EU, the Conditional Cash Transfer for Education programme provides about US$10 a month to Syrian families whose children attend school. The amount is similar to that given to Turkish families on social welfare. According to UNICEF, of around one million school-age Syrian children in Turkey, some 400,000 are still missing out on school, often because they need to work to help their families survive. But school administrators told AFP that the programme has helped bring some children back to classes. | | |
| After finding safety in Malta, Syrian refugee Nawras’ love of animals led him to a new career – as a dog trainer. Not only does he meet lots of dogs, but also their owners. “My job helped me to have a lot of friends, and that really makes me feel a part of the society,” he says. | | |
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