Syrian refugees wait at a UNHCR distribution centre in Za’atri refugee camp in Jordan.© UNHCR/J.Tanner

Thousands of Syrians displaced by the conflict in their country are being prevented from crossing the border into Jordan, according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).

UNHCR reports that since the beginning of the year, approximately 2,000 Syrians a day have been arriving at Za'atari refugee camp in Jordan, but only seven crossed the border over the past week.

The agency is disturbed by accounts from some of those fleeing Syria that there may be restrictions imposed on people who want to leave the country.

To learn more about this situation, UN Radio's Cristina Silveiro spoke to Paul Stromberg, Head of Operations at UNHCR in Jordan.

Duration: 2’52″

Stephen Ramropp

In Trinidad and Tobago, action has been initiated on all of the priorities called for in the Hyogo Protocol and on the role of international partners in assisting small island states in specific areas related to disaster risk reduction.

Dr. Stephen Ramropp, Chief Executive Officer of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management there's been special emphasis on sustainable development policies, specifically targeting disaster risk reduction.

Dr. Stephen Ramropp: Recently, we concluded the FAHOM 20 exercise and it has revealed several gaps in DRR in our country. This exercise which involved a number of partners regionally and internationally, tested the establishment of a humanitarian operations command centre to coordinate the delivery and distribution of foreign humanitarian assistance into our country in the context of a disaster – in this case – a severe earthquake – and in this case, it was planned before that earthquake of Japan. In order to strengthen our preventative systems, a project called CORE –Communities Organized Ready and Resilient for Emergencies – has been launched and will enable us to target hazard-prone, vulnerable villages and streets at the level of the individual home.

NAR: According to Dr. Ramroop, in the past, there's been much focus towards response and recovery and less so on sustainable disaster risk reduction development policies and programmes. And he explained that with the shift towards sustainability, Trinidad and Tobago is prioritizing targeting the actual householders in their homes and bearing in mind that the country's population is small, the government is satisfied that this is achievable.

Dr. Stephen Ramropp: The strategy involves sensitizing people about mitigation and providing them with information and items such as disaster bags and emergency shelter information. It is a collaborative strategy spanning NGO's and CBO's with the local government disaster officials and the result that is emerging is that all parties are gaining a better understanding of the vulnerabilities, capacity and hazards faced by the villages and streets inn hazard-prone areas. The fact that for all practical purposes our country has been spared major hazards on many occasions has created a certain attitude of complacency.

Mr. Ramroop said that in mobilizing support, they have engaged a number of local organizations, including the Rotary Club, Red Cross society, faith-based organizations, while internationally, they have now signed finance agreements with UNDP and IDB to commence a comprehensive national risk-mapping exercise, national institution capacity-building and launch a massive a massive public education and knowledge programme.

Dobb Bobb, United Nations.

Duration: 2’38″

Caribbean Island

There were many calls for inter-island cooperation, as well as adequate financial and technical resources in Geneva this week as disaster risk reduction experts met on strengthening partnerships for Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Local government representatives told the fourth session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction that there would be no disaster resilience without effective decentralization, without empowering communities and without addressing social inequalities and poverty alleviation.

David Basile, Minister of the Interior of Haiti, said that the Caribbean nations were coming closer together than ever before, with true regional integration developing through political and economic events. He said for example, there had been increasing exchanges on climate change, and on controlling and managing land and sea phenomena: an increase in heavy rainfall could be expected, but what would happen with the farming cycle was unpredictable.

James Fletcher, Minister of Public Service, Sustainable Development, Energy, Science and Technology of Saint Lucia, said the Caribbean, where many countries were already confronting debt and anaemic economic growth, faced an increased risk of climate change. He said in order to minimize the possible trauma, disaster mitigation should be approached from the regional level. Small Island Developing States should institute effective early warning systems, strengthen planning and building guidelines, and share best practices and economic constraints should be considered in investing in the future.

Jose Rubiera, Director of the National Forecasting Centre of Cuba, said the planet was changing and there was an increased hurricane risk in the Caribbean, but Cuba had faced many previous such disasters successfully. Its meteorologists used simple language and graphics to explain hurricanes, and their messages were translated into guidelines and recommendations and broadcast as early warning messages through various media. He said student competitions were held to test knowledge of disaster issues, and little by little the population was developing an awareness of risk.

Ronald Jackson, Executive Director, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, said that disaster risk reduction was a developmental issue, involving governance, partnerships for sustainable financing, and emerging partnerships. He said while the issue had advanced considerably in the region, more targeted investment was required. According to the CDEMA official, partners and funding should be further harmonized, language should be repackaged and the value of investing in risk reduction should be better illustrated.

Speakers concurred that Caribbean nations were coming together to address climate change, sustainable development, trade and the like. However, one of the challenges was to ensure that the strategies were mutually reinforcing. They said efforts were also presently focused on tourism and community-level risk reduction, and suggested that rather than spread out into broader sectors, such as agriculture, a cross-sectoral approach might be advisable, along with regional work on trans-boundary risks.

Donn Bobb, United Nations.

Duration: 2’49″

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with His Excellency President Yoweri K. Museveni of Uganda. [UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe]

Mr. Ban spoke in Entebbe, Uganda, where he met with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and members of his cabinet as he continued his five-nation tour in Africa.

Secretary-General Ban said as the Chair of the International Conference on the Great Lakes region, President Museveni has been instrumental in striving to resolve the crisis in the eastern DR Congo.

He added that the Ugandan leader also played an important role in reaching agreement on the UN -brokered Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region.

"That is why we are here because now the focus is on implementation of this framework agreement. We count on the continuing leadership of President Museveni and all regional leaders and I welcome President Museveni's strong commitment and leadership shown here today." (24")

The Secretary-General also thanked the Ugandan government and soldiers for their valuable contribution to peace and stability in Somalia.

He said it is with noble sacrifices by many Ugandan soldiers that the people of Somalia are now able to enjoy stability and have the opportunity for development.

Donn Bobb, United Nations.

Duration: 1'27"

Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Edmond Mulet, is pictured aboard a helicopter in Ghajjar, Lebanon, while touring the Blue Line demarcating the border between Israel and Lebanon.

The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers is a day to remember those who served in United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations.

The day has two purposes: to honour the memory of the UN peacekeepers who have lost their lives in the cause of peace; and to pay tribute to all the men and women who have served and continue to serve in UN peacekeeping operations for their high level of professionalism, dedication and courage.

International peace and security needs are changing rapidly and this year we are using Peacekeepers Day to focus on how UN Peacekeeping is 'Adapting to new challenges'.

UN Radio spoke with Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Edmund Mulet and asked him about the significance of the Day.

CUE: Peacekeepers' Day, we see it as ….. is important.

Since the first UN peacekeeping mission was established in 1948, more than 3,100 military, police and civilian personnel have lost their lives in the service of peace as a result of acts of violence, accidents and disease.

Duration: 4’33″

IOM Spokesperson Jumbe Omari Jumbe

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says it is working with authorities in the Dominican Republic to assist a group of 52 Haitian children recently rescued from a ring of traffickers.

According to the agency, the unaccompanied children were being forced by the traffickers to beg on the street corners in the capital, Santo Domingo.

IOM spokesperson, Jumbe Omari Jumbe says the children were rescued by the Dominican authorities on 16 May, when the police conducted raids to break up the ring of traffickers.

"The raids identified 109 irregular migrants, of whom 54 were the above-mentioned children and the whole group were taken into temporary custody while investigators conduct initial interviews and the authorities find appropriate shelters for the unaccompanied minors. IOM is providing food, clothing, and non-food items and will carry out family tracing and family reunification if necessary." (28")

Jumbe Omari Jumbe says IOM's assistance to victims of trafficking in the Dominican Republic is funded by the US State Department and the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.

He adds that a recent survey by the Dominican National Office of Statistics indicates there are some 458,000 Haitian migrants in the Dominican Republic.

Donn Bobb, United Nations

Duration: 1'17"

Security Council Chamber

The Security Council has strongly condemned the two suicide bombings which took place in Arlit and Agadez in Niger on Thursday.

According to reports, at least 20 people were killed and more than a dozen others injured in the attacks which targeted a military camp in the city of Agadez and a uranium mine in Arlit.

UN Deputy Spokesperson Eduardo Del Buey has more.

"In a press statement issued this morning the members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks that occurred in Agadez and Arlit, Niger. The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring the perpetrators of these acts to justice, and urged all States to cooperate actively with the Nigerien authorities in this regard. The Secretary-General strongly condemned the two suicide bombings which took place in Niger in a statement we issued yesterday."

The Secretary-General reiterated the support of the United Nations to the efforts of the Government of Niger and other countries in the Sahel region to combat the scourge of terrorism and transnational crime.

He stressed the need for the international community to continue to strengthen its cooperation to address these serious threats to the stability of the sub-region and beyond.

Donn Bobb, United Nations.

Duration: 1'06"

WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan at the World Health Assembly in Geneva. [WHO Photo]

This point was made by the Director-General of WHO, Dr. Margaret Chan as the World Health Assembly continued its session in Geneva on Friday.

She said countries should inform the agency about any barriers that stop them from providing timely information about new infections or diseases so that it can give appropriate advice and support.

Dr. Chan reminded participants that WHO has many collaborating centres that specialize in different diseases.

"WHO collaborating centres will not take intellectual property right to stop the sharing of information and to stop or delay the development of diagnostic test or serology test and that is why they are given the credit and the reputation as a WHO collaborating centre. It is not easy to earn that title. It takes many years. And I want to thank many countries who are now moving forward in becoming and investing in becoming a WHO collaborating centre." (31")

Dr. Chan commended the developed countries that are helping and supporting developing countries in building laboratories and training people to deal with outbreaks of diseases.

Donn Bobb, United Nations.

Duration: 1'19"

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon meeting with His Excellency President Paul Kagame of Rwanda. [UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe]

The two leaders addressed the Rwandan press on an historic visit to Africa's Great Lakes region from May 22nd – 24th in support of a recent landmark peace agreement and to push for economic development in one of the world's most troubled regions.

Gerry Adams reports.

Duration: 2’06″