Africa Asia Middle East عربي Français PlusNews Film & TV Photo Radio free subscription Mobile RSS find IRIN on facebook follow IRIN on twitter



humanitarian news and analysis
a project of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Advanced search
 Saturday 21 November 2009 Latest reports:
 
Home 
Africa 
Asia 
Middle East 
Weekly reports 
Global Issues 
In-Depth reports 
Maps 
Most popular 
 
Hear our Voices
A forum for people whose voices are often not heard, whose lives have been affected by catastrophe, be it natural or manmade. Many have been abused and denied their universal human rights; others have seen their livelihoods washed away by floods or lost to drought. Their personal accounts are a testimony to their struggle and their hope for a better future. Stories from aid workers offer a glimpse into the relationships between victims of humanitarian crises and the people who help them.

IRIN welcomes editorial and photographic submissions for inclusion on this page, reserving the right to select and edit as appropriate.

Africa [archive more testimonies »
Aden Muhumed Hassan, "I am better at collecting charcoal than my friends who have hands"
Aden Muhumed Hassan, 46, a divorced father of one, lost his hands 11 years ago after he accidentally picked up unexploded ordnance [UXO] planted during fighting between the Somali National Movement (SNM) and former President Siad Barre's army in Somaliland's liberation struggle between 1981 and 1991, and during the Ogaden war between Somalia and Ethiopia in the late 1970s.
full testimony
Madame Diallo, "The children ask about him"
The Diallo family in the Guinean capital, Conakry, has found no trace of Thierno Abdoulaye Diallo, 20, a student, since he set off on 28 September for a football stadium in the city.
full testimony
Odette Nzokirantevye, "Now I don't wait for my husband to give me money for soap"
A CARE empowerment project in Burundi is training women in dispute resolution, savings and credit schemes, and putting a stop to sexual violence.
full testimony
Asia [archive more testimonies »
Grandmother Khamsone, “The spirits don’t want to be here”
Over 6,000 people have been resettled to make way for a controversial dam in central Laos: The Nam Theun 2 Dam, the country’s single largest infrastructure project, will produce electricity for Thailand, and domestically.
full testimony
Kamesa Usop, "We lost everything"
When Kamesa Usop fled her home in August 2008, little did she know she would still be displaced 14 months later. Today, the 50-year-old is one of 1,500 residents of the Notre Dame Dulawan evacuation centre in Datu Piang, in conflict-affected Mindanao.
full testimony
Daw Aye Kwe, "I have been fishing since I was seven"
After spending most of her life fishing in the Andaman Sea off the Delta's southern coast, Daw Aye Kwe, 60, a fisherwoman, has been forced to hang up her nets and return to her village of Kone Tan Pauk. Cyclone Nargis destroyed her boat and killed some of her relatives, and she now lives in a temporary shelter.
full testimony
Middle East [archive more testimonies »
Nasser Ridhwan, "I had nothing in life but my wife, who I’ve now lost"
Nasser Ridhwan, 78, is a recent arrival in the al-Mazraq camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Haradh District, Hajjah Governorate, some 130km southwest of his home village of Mashnaq, near Dukhan Mountain, which has become a battleground in fighting between the Saudi army and Houthi-led Shia rebels.
full testimony
Dabbas Haile, "When life is hard, you have to be tough"
I come from the Gash Barka region of Eritrea, near the Sudanese border. I escaped from prison and left my country on 1 January 2004 to come to Sudan and then Egypt, where I was jailed again.
full testimony
Abdullah Kahiya, "Cairo is better than Mogadishu, but life is still hard"
In the third of a series of interviews with refugees living in Cairo, IRIN spoke to Abdullah Bare Kahiya, 31, about why he left home, and the prospects he has in this host country.
full testimony

Services:  Africa | Asia | Middle East | PlusNews | Film & TV | Photo | Radio | Weekly | Live news map | Interviews | E-mail subscription
Feedback | E-mail Webmaster | Terms & Conditions | Really Simple Syndication News Feeds | About IRIN | Jobs | Bookmark IRINnews | Donors

Copyright © IRIN 2009. All rights reserved.
This material comes to you via IRIN, the humanitarian news and analysis service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations or its Member States. The boundaries, names and designations used on maps on this site do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the UN. Republication is subject to terms and conditions as set out in the IRIN copyright page.