Lack of access, rains hinder aid to Jonglei IDPs

JUBA, 17 June 2013 (IRIN Africa) - Tens of thousands of people have been cut off from water, food and medical care in South Sudan's Jonglei State, after fleeing violence between rebels and the government in Pibor County. They now face escalated risks as the rainy season starts, but aid agencies say the government has denied humanitarian access to these populations. full report

Senegalese gear up for likely flooding

DAKAR/PIKINE, 7 June 2013 (IRIN Africa) - Senegalese authorities and aid organizations say they have begun preparing for what will likely be another round of heavy flooding during this year's upcoming rainy season, but observers and local residents say not enough has been done to reduce the risk of annual floods ruining their homes. full report

Deported from South Africa, Zimbabweans struggle at home

HARARE, 6 June 2013 (IRIN Africa) - Maxwell Zimbume, 37, left his job at a beverage company in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, at the height of the country’s economic crisis in late 2008. His salary was not being paid regularly and had become almost worthless due to hyperinflation. Like hundreds of thousands of other Zimbabweans, he decided to try his luck in neighbouring South Africa. full report

Kachin conflict boosts trafficking, report says

BANGKOK, 5 June 2013 (IRIN Asia) - Women in Myanmar’s northern Kachin State are increasingly susceptible to human trafficking, said a new report released on 5 June by the Kachin Women’s Association Thailand (KWAT). “Thousands of young women are at risk,” KWAT spokesperson Julia Marip told IRIN. full report

Quelling xenophobia in South Africa's townships

PHILIPPI, 14 May 2013 (IRIN Africa) - This week marks five years since tensions between foreigners and South Africans living in impoverished communities across the country erupted in xenophobic violence, leaving more than 60 people dead and tens of thousands displaced, their homes and businesses robbed and abandoned. full report

Analysis: The plight of LGBTI asylum seekers, refugees

KATHMANDU, 7 May 2013 (IRIN Global) - Refugees and asylum seekers face a host of challenges when crossing borders, but the obstacles are particularly pronounced for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex (LGBTI) persons, say experts. full report

Analysis: Southeast Asia’s human trafficking conundrum

JAKARTA, 6 May 2013 (IRIN Asia) - Tens of thousands of people are vulnerable to being trafficked in Southeast Asia, with governments struggling to understand and respond collectively to the problem, say experts and government officials. full report

In Brief: Raids free enslaved migrants/refugees in Yemen

DUBAI, 2 May 2013 (IRIN Middle East) - The army in Yemen has started a crackdown on illegal smuggling hideouts in the north where migrants, refugees and asylum seekers from the Horn of Africa are frequently held against their will and tortured by criminal gangs looking for ransom money. full report

Lifeline to “climate refugees”?

JOHANNESBURG, 17 April 2013 (IRIN Global) - The international community has steadfastly dodged the issue of recognition and protection for “climate refugees” - people forced to relocate to another country as a result of the risks and hazards of a changing climate. Now, the first global initiative to address humanitarian options is underway, with discussions focusing on the Pacific Ocean states to take place soon. full report