UN – Page 2 – Ian Birrell

Refugees are a test of our shared humanity

Published by the ipaper (18th September, 2016) South Sudan is the world’s newest country, having just passed its fifth birthday. But there is little to celebrate in a […]

Aid / Turkey / World

Human rights, hypocrisy and a humanitarian summit

Published by The ipaper (23rd March, 2016) Four years ago United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon announced his idea for a giant summit to discuss the stumbling response systems […]

Aid / Europe / Holland / Politics

The foreign aid target is highly flawed

Published by The Mail on Sunday (3rd April,2016) Since the time David Cameron became leader of the Conservatives, I have been one of those pushing him to move […]

Aid / Jordan / Syria / World

Dispelling the myth of humane refugee camps

Published by The i Paper & The Independent (7th March 2016) The young mother told me her horror story as we sat drinking tea near the Syrian border. […]

Africa / Arts / Books / Kenya / Somalia

The hellhole that refugees are forced to call home

Published by The Observer (7th February, 2016) City of Thorns: Nine Lives in the World’s Largest Refugee Camp (Portobello) Guled was a slight boy, orphaned in his teens […]

Africa / China / Europe / France / Germany / Iran / Lebanon / Nigeria / United States / World

Forget fear and loathing: 15 reasons to celebrate the world in 2015

Published by The Independent (28th December, 2015) Who will mourn the passing of 2015? It seems such a grim year filled with terrible tales of atrocities, extremism and […]

Aid / Jordan / Syria / World

The £100m ghost camp for refugees

Published by The Mail on Sunday (20th December, 2015) The huge Azraq refugee camp appears over the horizon like an alien version of a music festival. Thousands of white metal […]

Africa / Aid / Eritrea / Europe / European Union / Immigration / Policy

Moving the goalposts to keep out refugees from repression

Published by The Independent (31st August, 2015) Eritrea is routinely called ‘Africa’s North Korea’ for its repression, restrictions on daily life and routine use of torture to crush […]

Europe / Immigration / Italy / Policy / World

Imagine if Isis was approaching and safety just over the sea

Published by The Independent (23rd February, 2014) The statistics and stories are so extreme they barely register any more. In just five days, 4,200 migrants were plucked from […]

Africa / Aid / Liberia

Our shameful response to the ebola crisis

Published by The Independent (20th October, 2014) I relaxed again this weekend. It was 21 days since I returned from Liberia to report on the human tragedy of […]

Iraq

Please let American jets bomb my prison

Published by The Mail on Sunday (17th August, 2014) The call came in the early hours, the voice muffled, furtive and shaking with fear. ‘If they see me […]

Israel, West Bank & Gaza / World

Israel sends commandos into Gaza after 50 die in air strikes

Published by The Daily Mail (17th July, 2014) Israel sent ground forces into Gaza yesterday for the first time in its latest offensive, launching an amphibious assault with […]