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Happy and relieved – the Bulgarian humanitarians who were kidnapped in Darfur are going home!
Monday, June 6th, 2011
Talking to internally displaced people in Kalma camp, South Darfur
The three Bulgarian humanitarian workers, who had been abducted in Darfur in mid-January, were released today. As the European Commissioner for humanitarian aid, but also as Bulgarian and a mother, I am happy and relieved that Branko Chorbadjiiski, Alexander Dimitrov and Veselin Manolov are now out of harm’s way and will soon be reunited with their families and friends. Read the full entry
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My first trip in 2011 is to Yemen, a weak link in a belt of fragile states that spans from Pakistan and Afghanistan to Sudan and Somalia. As I arrived here, the first news that hit was of the kidnapping of three Bulgarians in Darfur – a stark reminder of the problems these countries present.
I arrived in Yemen together with Antonio Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for refugees, because we both believe the country deserves much more attention than it receives. Long gone are the days when people came to Yemen because of its incredible historic heritage – traced back to 1,000 years BC. Today, the only window through which the world looks at Yemen, is terrorism. Read the full entry
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Hope and worry on the calendar
Friday, December 10th, 2010
As the year draws to a close, a question I often get from journalists is what I expect will be the biggest challenges for 2011. Considering the nature of my work, this is not an easy question, as disasters often happen without prior warning.
Yet, an easily predictable challenge for next year is Sudan. As the referendum for independence in Southern Sudan nears, so is the expectation that it will mark the first big task the world will face in 2011.
This referendum is a momentous event in the history of Africa, and we all hope it will offer a peaceful, democratic and long-term solution to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Read the full entry
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On Sunday, the 20th of June, the World Refugee Day is celebrated across the globe. It is a day of solidarity with those who have been displaced from their homes because of war, persecution or natural disasters. Today they include around 10 million refugees and more than 27 million internally displaced people (IDPs) seeking sanctuary within their own countries. The European Commission has made a firm commitment to help and protect people who have lost their homes wherever they may be.
The theme of this year’s World Day is ”Home”, a word which at its core, expresses a basic human need for comfort and safety. A few months ago many Europeans found themselves in a very unfortunate situation. They were stranded in foreign countries, unable to return to their homes and families, as the ash of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull spread over European skies, bringing air traffic over large parts of the continent to a complete halt (see my previous entry Grounded). The situation cannot be compared in any way to the hardships experienced by refugees. But perhaps it made many travellers closer to the feelings of fear, despair and longing for home that the millions of refugees around the world have to endure, sometimes for years on end. Read the full entry
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I arrive in Nyala after a day in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital and most prosperous city. The contrast is so dramatic that it is hard to believe we are still in the same country. Khartoum, the city where the Blue and White Nile meet, is booming — oil revenues fuel construction everywhere. It is a capital of a middle income country and only the occasional donkey on the busy streets reminds of Sudan’s rural soul.
Nyala, in the South of Darfur, has none of Khartoum’s glamour. It is visibly poor, with mostly unpaved streets, lots of mud houses and frequent electric power failures. But Nyala is well off compared to the camps, hosting millions of internally displaced and refugees across Darfur. Power cuts don’t exist there for a simple reason – there is no power to cut. Read the full entry
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