New Global Trends report on the state of the world’s refugees shows displacement continues to rise. In 2018, the world reached yet another tragic milestone. For the first time in recorded history the number of displaced people around the world eclipsed 70 million. By the end of the year, 70.8 million individuals were forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, or generalized violence.

World Refugee Day was marked in Kutupalong refugee settlement. Refugees and UNHCR welcomed the participation of the U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh, H.E. Earl R. Miller, who participated in a walk to support a StepsWithRefugees campaign to highlight the plight of refugees worldwide who need to make often long and difficult journeys to reach safety each year. A Rohingya women's group arranged a photographic exhibition and refugee community groups led and organised games and events for the day, alongside many of the organisations working in the response.

DETERIORATING SECURITY SITUATION SLOWED REFUGEE OPERATIONS IN JUNE – Sudan's security situation deteriorated in June, with reports of increased violence and criminality, including sexual and gender-based violence, across most States hosting South Sudanese refugees. A nationwide internet shutdown began on 3 June, with nearly 50 per cent of response partners without internet access throughout June. Response partners reported difficulties accessing their offices due to movement restrictions in Khartoum for a number of days. Price fluctuations observed since the beginning of 2019 worsened with scarcity of many goods in local markets. Cash shortages continued throughout June, aggravated by bank closures during a general strike from 9-11 June. Where banks were open, lack of internet disrupted banking services. Distribution activities were delayed in many locations due to the security situation and fuel shortages, including education supplies.

The SGBV WG met regularly in May 2019 with a focus on youth and GBV, this included the presentation of the COMPACT- interagency guidelines for working with and for young people in humanitarian settings. In the reporting month the working group provided technical review of 12 submitted proposal to the OCHA managed humanitarian funding. In order to collect lessons learnt on inclusion of people with disabilities in GBV programming in this operation a taskforce met to develop briefing note. A second briefing session was offered on SGBV WG mobile data entry. The working group worked with sub national coordination in Mafraq to support the establishment of CMR services in the area. In Zaatari camp a multisectorial initiative brought together youth, protection and GBV actors and community volunteers to discuss solutions for street sexual harassment in the camp.

8,253 Burundian refugees have been assisted to voluntarily return so far in 2019, with some 1,801 assisted in March and 2,975 assisted in April.

UNHCR’s Regional Refugee Coordinator (RRC) for the Burundi situation, Ms. Catherine Wiesner carried out a mission to Burundi, on 24-26 April, 2019. The mission aimed at taking stock of the current situation of Burundian refugee returns. The RRC spoke with returnees that arrived at the newly opened Kinazi Transit Center in Muyinga. During her visit, the RRC highlighted the need for more support to strengthen the reintegration programming to create sustainable conditions for the returnees and communities in areas of return.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency welcomes South Sudan’s ground-breaking accession to the 2009 African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa, also known as the Kampala Convention. The Kampala Convention is the first and only regional legally binding instrument for the protection and assistance of internally displaced persons, which incorporates the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement.

UNHCR evacuates hundreds of vulnerable refugees out of Libya to safety. Amid violent clashes and a deteriorating security situation in Tripoli, 149 vulnerable refugees and asylum-seekers were evacuated to safety in Rome on 30 May. Many of the evacuees need medical treatment and are suffering from malnourishment. The group was moved from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency’s Gathering and Departure Facility (GDF), after surviving months in dire conditions inside detention centres in other parts of the city. The evacuation was carried out in collaboration with Libyan and Italian authorities.

Over a quarter of a million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar have now been jointly registered and provided with identity cards by the Bangladesh authorities and UNHCR.

In 2018, across the region, RRP partners achieved a number of tangible results for South Sudanese refugees, including: the provision of food assistance to 1.23 million people, assisted deliveries for 23,000 South Sudanese mothers, support and care provided to 100 per cent of identified survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and the provision of core relief items for 165,000 refugee families.