1. A shelter from violence for Colombian
refugees in Ecuador
2. News to use
in the classroom
3. Free DVD on resettled refugees in Utica,
NY
4. Ninemillion.org
1. A shelter from violence for
Colombian refugees in Ecuador
|
|
| A young Colombian
refugee plays hide-and-seek at the UNHCR shelter in Lago
Agrio, his home for more than a year. UNHCR/M.-H.
Verney |
Located a few kilometers from the Colombian border, the
UNHCR shelter in Lago Agrio provides a temporary home to some of
the most vulnerable refugees arriving from Colombia in Ecuador.
With a capacity for 250 people – another 250 can be accommodated
under tents in an emergency – the shelter is rarely
empty.
Sonia, who arrived in Ecuador less than a month ago, spends
most of her days in tears. The 22-year-old fled her home in
Colombia after members of an irregular armed group killed her
brother and abducted her mother.
The
young Colombian woman was washing dishes at the back of the house
when the assailants arrived, and dived under the sink when she
heard gunshots and her mother's screams. "I waited until daylight
before I found the courage to come out. I went looking for my
mother and when I got out of the house, I saw my brother's body
lying on the street. No one had dared come to help. I still don't
know what happened to my mother," she recalls.
Statistics show that with at least 2.5 million
internally displaced people, Colombia is now the country with the
largest population of concern to UNHCR in the world. There are an
estimated 250,000 Colombians of concern to UNHCR in
Ecuador.
Sonia
walked for hours and then fled by bus to the Ecuadorian border.
From there she went to the UNHCR office in Lago Agrio and was
immediately taken to the shelter, where she receives protection
and assistance.
In a
few weeks she will have to leave the shelter – refugees can stay
for three months maximum, six in extreme cases. While uncertain
about her own future, she is even more concerned about the six
abandoned children with whom she shares the shelter.
The
story of the four brothers and two sisters is heartrending. They
arrived in Ecuador two years ago with their father, who fled after
being severely beaten and threatened by members of an irregular
armed group. Their mother had died shortly before their
flight.
Like
many Colombians in Ecuador, their father was too scared when he
first arrived to make his presence known to the authorities. For
several months he tried to cope on his own.
That
was more than a year ago. Two months ago, their father left and
has not come back since. The local orphanage has agreed to take
some of the children –those aged 10 or under, but UNHCR is looking
for a solution that will keep them together.
With
school out for the summer break, the children have been spending
most of their days watching television and playing together. They
are very quiet. "It's OK here," the eldest girl says. At four, the
youngest is playing hide-and-seek with visitors. Every time
someone leaves, he asks for a ride in the car until the shelter's
gate. "I want to come with you," he tells the visiting UNHCR team,
"but my sister says I cannot go further than the
gate."
Share
the latest news on Colombia with your class, including the most
recent photos, maps and video footage.
2. News to use in the
classroom
Lebanon: The
impact of the Lebanon war lives on in poverty, traumatized
children
The bombs have stopped falling, but for tens
of thousands of Lebanese the suffering from this summer's war
continues in the form of disrupted lives, economic hardship and
traumatized children.
Poland: Young
asylum seekers and their teachers face a test in some European
nations
Schools around Europe opened their doors
to millions of children earlier this month, including one special
group of students keen to get back into the classroom but
wondering how they will cope.
Sweden: Swedish
teenagers raise $800,000 to help Congolese refugee
students
The Congolese refugee children in Rwanda's
Gihembe camp have a good reason to smile – Swedish students have
collected nearly $800,000 towards their education.
3. Free DVD on resettled refugees in Utica,
NY
The Town
that Loves Refugees, UNHCR's latest DVD, is available free of
charge. This narrated photo feature gives students an inside look
into the contributions that resettled refugees bring to the United
States. Utica, NY, is a town built by immigrants, but now another
wave of newcomers is shaping the city's future. Order your free DVD today.
4. ninemillion.org
Every
child has the right to an education. Give a child an education,
and you give them a chance for a better future. ninemillion
refugee children in the world dream of a better future. The
ninemillion campaign is helping these children realize
their dreams by improving their lives in refugee camps through
education and sport.
Help them play, let them
learn.
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