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Refugees and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): Information Access and Information Services

Benedicta Obodoruku, B.Sc., M.A, Ph.D.

Long Island University-Post Campus, Palmer School of Library and Information Science and Political Science Department

720 Northern Blvd., New York, 11548, United States E-Mail: benedicta.obodoruku@my.liu.edu

Introduction

q Since 1951, when the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was founded, the pervasive surges in the numbers of refugees have been of fundamental concern to United Nations (UN) and the UNHCR worldwide.

q This exploratory study presented a laconic history of the world’s refugees, the history of UNHCR, the history of refugees mainly from Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Somalia, as well as the history of Tanzania, the hosting country of these refugees.

q This research examined information access to refugees in Tanzania and the UNHCR’s information services. This research study also investigated how UNHCR fit into the information age of technology and recordkeeping by reviewing the following questions:

q  (1) What are the roles of technology in UNHCR? What are the services offered by UNHCR? What are the processes employed by UNHCR to reshape their organization such as the organizational theory, innovational theory, and change theory, if any? How has the UNHCR changed, and, if so, what brought about the change?

q  (2) How does technology stimulate change in the UNHCR, if any? Are there changes to UNHCR since it was created in 1951?

q  (3) How does UNHCR think about technology or do they think in a different way about technology? Is technology relevant to UNHCR’s works? How does UNHCR share information? What are the information services provided by UNHCR? How does UNHCR provide access and share information?

q  (4) What is the information access and service provided by UNHCR?

Methodology

A

B

Literature Review Blasko, J. (2011) Child protection effects at refugee camps in Tanzania. (n.d). The United Nations Children's Fund. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/burundi_2780.html> Fouéré, Marie-Aude. (2012). Traditional Knowledge in Refugee Camps The Case of Burundian Refugees in Tanzania (n.d). United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/doc/src/00364-EN.pdf Keynote Address by Mrs. Sadako Ogata, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, for Microsoft Tech-Ed 2000 Europe, Amsterdam. (2000). Retrieved fromhttp://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/search page=search&docid=3ae68fc524&query=%20technology%20in%20UNHCr United Nations (2000). Report of the Secretary-General on the Work of the Organization. A/55/1 United Nations General Assemble. (2010). Retrieved 08/21//2012 http://legal.un.org/ola/media/info_from_lc/A_55_1E.pdf UN (2010). Assistance to refugees and displaced persons in Africa. General Assemble Official Records Sixty-second Session. (A/65/324). Retrieved 08/21//2012 http://www.unhcr.org/4c99f8289.pdf United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (2000). A Humanitarian Agenda. The State of the Word Refugees. Retrieved 08/21//2012 http://www.unhcr.org/3ebf9bb60.html Obodoruku, B., (2016, December 9). U.N. Has a Responsibility in Congo. The New York Times, p. 17. Obodoruku, B. (2016). “Social Networking: Information Sharing, Archiving and Privacy.” BOBCATSSS’s Conference 27-29 January 2016, Lyon, France. BOBCATSSS 2016 ACTs & Proceedings. http://www.enssib.fr/bibliotheque-numerique/documents/66999-bobcatsss-2016-information-libraries-democraty-proceedings-abstracts.pdf Obodoruku, B. (2014). Refugees’ Protection Policies: An Examination of Multiple UN Policies. Paper presented at: IFLA WLIC 2014 - Lyon - Libraries, Citizens, Societies: Confluence for Knowledge <http://library.ifla.org/view/conferences/2014/> in Session 192 - Genealogy and Local History. Obodoruku, B., (2014). Human Information Behavior Among African Refugees in Tanzania: An Exploratory Study of the Nyarugusu Camp (Doctoral Dissertaion). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. Obodoruku, B. (2015, May 25). Fiddling as Burundi Burns. International New York Times, p. 7.

Findings

The findings suggested that in organizational level, UNHCR worked to advance performance through reform and restructuring by streamlining UN Headquarters in offering general direction and maximum assistance to workers in the field, and by merging functions via relocating support services to the field. UNHCR also provided access to information to their staff. With regards to the role of technology in UNHCR, the study finds out that according to EPAU Evaluation Reports (1998), UNHCR have played a major role in utilizing various forms of technology while carrying their role (services) as a protection organization in protecting populations in crisis situations. UNHCR utilized several communication strategies and was able to repatriate 1.3 million refugees from Tanzania (who were Burundi and Ugandan). With the use of the Radio BBC Programme, Rwandan refugees were able to return in 1998. In regards to information dissemination in refugee camps in Tanzania, in general, there is inadequate information for refugees in Tanzania camps – refugees lack the essential information required, particularly on food distribution.  

Figure 1. Concept Map of Information Dispersed by Stockholders

Figure 3. Innovative Approaches of UNHCR – Field Level

Figure 4. Innovations on Organizational Levels

Conclusions

q  By employing content analysis, this study presented numerous findings based on various studies and literature examined and analyzed to:

q  demonstrate information access on food for

refugees in Tanzania, information on security and protection for refugees in Tanzania and how it could influence the international community to make available information for refugees in Tanzania and to provide adequate food, security and protection.

Dr. Benedicta Obodoruku. Refugees and Researcher -Dr. Benedicta Obodoruku in Nyarugusu Camp, Tanzania. 2013.

Dr. Benedicta Obodoruku. Nyarugusu Camp, Tanzania. 2013.

Dr. Benedicta Obodoruku. Shelters and Refugees in Nyarugusu Camp, Tanzania. 2013.

Dr. Benedicta Obodoruku. Shelters and Refugees in Nyarugusu Camp, Tanzania. 2013.

Dr. Benedicta Obodoruku. Refugees and Researcher -Dr. Benedicta Obodoruku in Nyarugusu Camp, Tanzania. 2013.

Figure 2. Difficulties in Cooking at Tanzania’s Refugee Camp

IMPROVE PERFORMANCE

THROUGH REFORM

IMPROVE PERFORMANCE

THROUGH RESTRUCTURING

q  The findings of this study suggested that refugees in Tanzania lack adequate food, adequate protection/security and adequate information.

q  According to CHS (2010), there is inadequate food for refugees and refugees depend on the international community for support (CHS, 2010).

q  In regards to food protection/security in the Tanzania refugee camp, WFP & UNHCR (2005) noted that food-related domestic violence totaled 15-20% in Tanzanian refugee camps.

q  It must be known that women and children are exposed to non-secured environments/camps in Tanzania. Women and children have been raped in Tanzanian refugee camps because of lack of security (WFP & UNHCR, 2005 & Blasko, 2011) (Obodoruku 2014).

Dr. Benedicta Obodoruku. Refugees and Researcher - Dr. Benedicta Obodoruku at the Registration Centre in Nyarugusu Camp, Tanzania. 2013.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

The Difficulties Refugees Encountered in Cooking

Reasons why refugees in Tanzania have difficuties Cooking

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Table 1