Global Forced Displacement Highest Since WW2

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Global forced displacement tops 50 million, highest since World War II  —UN

The number of refugees, asylum-seekers and internally displaced people worldwide has, for the first time in the post-World War II era, exceeded 50 million people, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.

The agency’s annual Global Trends report shows 51.2 million people were forcibly displaced at the end of 2013, some 6 million more than the 45.2 million reported in 2012.

“This massive increase was driven mainly by the war in Syria, which at the end of last year had forced 2.5 million people into becoming refugees and made 6.5 million internally displaced. Major new displacement was also seen in Africa – notably in Central African Republic and South Sudan,” said the report.

“We are seeing here the immense costs of not ending wars, of failing to resolve or prevent conflict,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres. “Peace is today dangerously in deficit. Humanitarians can help as a palliative, but political solutions are vitally needed. Without this, the alarming levels of conflict and the mass suffering that is reflected in these figures will continue.”

The biggest refugee populations under UNHCR care and by source country are Afghans, Syrians and Somalis – together accounting for more than half of the global refugee total. Pakistan, Iran and Lebanon, meanwhile, hosted more refugees than other countries.

The worldwide population of stateless people is not included in the figure of 51.2 million forcibly displaced people. Statelessness remains hard to quantify with precision, but for 2013, UNHCR’s offices worldwide reported a figure of almost 3.5 million stateless people. This is about a third of the number of people estimated to be stateless globally.

 

Deadly Floods Hit Bulgaria

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‘The tragedy is enormous’

Extreme Rain Events have triggered deadly flooding in Bulgaria, killing at least 10 people, destroying homes, washing away roads and forcing evacuations, officials said.

“The tragedy is enormous. I am here on a street in the suburb of Aspruhovo. The street is not here, the houses are not here, there are cars on top of each other,” said Varna’s mayor.

More rain has fallen in the eastern regions of Varna and Burgas in the past 24 hours than the average amount for the month of June. Forecasters have warned of more rainfall, thunderstorms and extreme weather in northern and eastern Bulgaria on Friday, said a report.

Related Links

• ‘Terrifying’ Floods Affect 1,000,000 Bosnians May 19, 2014
• Historic Flooding Turns Deadly in Serbia, Bosnia May 15, 2014

Members Bulletin – June 20, 2014

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
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UDCC will begin broadcasting on June 27, 2014

News, information and disaster forecasts will be broadcast on our private channel ‘UDCC’ beginning June 27, 2014.

UDCCpf’s daily ‘podcasts’ are available to CJ Members, selected CASF members and authorized individuals. The Channel will be operated jointly by EDRO and FIRE-EARTH.

Related Links

• Bulletin Board

State of Emergency Declared in Minn. amid Severe Flooding

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MN Gov. Declares a State of Emergency as Torrential Rains Flood Crops, Raise River Levels

Minnesota Governor Dayton has declared a State of Emergency after record rainfall inundated dozens of counties, damaging crops, and raising river levels.

“Governor Dayton is also directing the Minnesota National Guard to send 100 soldiers to Koochiching County, where Rainy Lake’s high waters have destroyed hundreds of public and private docks, and flooded many homes and cabins, said a report.

More rain has fallen on the International Falls area this month than in any other comparable period since record keeping began more than 100 years ago.

The 35 counties covered by the initial disaster declaration are Beltrami, Blue Earth, Brown, Dodge, Faribault, Freeborn, Goodhue, Grant, Hubbard, Jackson, Lake of the Woods, Le Sueur, Lyon, Koochiching, McLeod, Morrison, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pipestone, Ramsey, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Rock, Roseau, St. Louis, Scott, Sibley, Steele, Todd and Waseca.

Up to 10 inches (25cm) of rain has fallen on parts of Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota in the past week—the equivalent of about two months’ rainfall.

“The water level on Lake Minnetonka, recorded since 1906, reached an all-time high Thursday of 930.77 feet above sea level, breaking the record set only 16 days earlier. Minnehaha Creek also set a record, rising quickly in south Minneapolis and overflowing its banks in many spots along Minnehaha Parkway, much of which was closed Thursday,” said a report.