• Assistant Secretary, Mr. Eric Schwartz, from the U.S. State Department's Bureau for Population, Refugees, and Migration (BPRM) visited Ecuador from 26

to 28 of February . He met UNHCR staff in Quito and in Lago Agrio to discuss UNHCR´s operations in the country. He also met with refugee families and local

leaders in Lago Agrio's disadvantaged San Valentín neighborhood. These visits and briefings highlighted UNHCR´s programs in Ecuador and the magnitude

of the refugee caseload and the challenges posed to the government's limited resources and reduced UNHCR´s budget. He expressed BPRM's commitment

to continue supporting refugee operations in the region, stating that his visit would help design such support "in a smarter way".

• UNHCR Tulcán met with representatives of the Human Rights department of the Catholic University of Ibarra in order to discuss possible solutions for

children of refugees who can not be registered in the Civil Registry. They offered to follow up the cases and to initiate protection actions with the Civil

Judge in Carchi.

• In Cuenca, the shelter for victims of GBV, Casa Maria Amor, finished a project funded by UNHCR, to strengthen the Municipal shelter for refugee families.

It led a participatory process to establish standard procedures for people staying in the shelter, for staff and organizations that work with the shelter. The

process has taken several months and enabled Casa Maria Amor to share the good practices.

• In Esmeraldas, the youth organization "Parada la J" recently inaugurated recreational courses for children, women and adolescents in order to promote

safe environments. FOES will support these activities in order to strengthen the integration of young refugees and to extend UNHCR’s presence in urban

areas.

.

UNHCR Ecuador Newsletter The largest Refugee operation in Latin America

Year II. Issue No. 6

From left to right:) the Brazilian Ambassador in Ecuador, Fernando Simas; Luis Varese, UNHCR Deputy Representative

in Ecuador; Jofre Poma, mayor of the Lago Agrio Municipality and Jeanethe Encarnación, on behalf of the Refugee

Directorate of the Ecuadorian Foreign Affairs Ministry, in Lago Agrio, cutting the ribbon to inaugurate a new classroom

in "16 de Febrero" primary school, in La Pista, a densely populated neighbourhood of Lago Agrio.

S. Aguilar/UNHCR

LAGO AGRIO (Sucumbíos), Ecuador, February 2011 (UNHCR) – When the lightning struck, the ambassador had already moved on. The bolt hit the power

cables right at the school door and the music ground to a halt. Fernando Simas, Brazilian Ambassador to Ecuador, had just gone into the sports hall of “16

de Febrero” primary school in Lago Agrio and, like the rest of those attending the event, jumped at the deafening thunder clap in the midst of the

torrential downpour.

However, neither the water nor the sudden silence could quell the exuberance at the opening of the new classroom, decked with the Brazilian flag

colours. “There are many refugee children at this school. It is sad to see how families come, leaving everything behind and bringing their children. But here

in Ecuador we still have a peaceful life and all the children are welcome. So we are very glad today because, with this new classroom, as professionals in

education, we will be able to give our best to the children, their parents and the community,” vouches Casalongo, Vice-Head of the school.

On an intensive two-day tour of the Amazon province of Sucumbíos, bordering with Colombia, where there are roughly 15,000 refugees, the Brazilian

Ambassador Fernando Simas could see at first hand the fruit of the cooperation agreement signed by Brazil and Ecuador to support the integration of this

population group. This pioneering initiative in the region has been materialized through various projects implemented by UNHCR for the benefit of the

refugee population and the Ecuadorians who receive them in their neighbourhoods and communities.

“These are flagship projects, the first made by Brazilian cooperation in such remote communities, which benefit both Ecuadorian families and those of

Colombian refugees living in this country. This support is given in recognition of Ecuador’s commitment to receive these displaced people coming from

Colombia”, says Ambassador Simas.

Directed at supporting primary education, protecting women victims of domestic violence or improving infrastructure for water and sanitation, the

Brazilian funding in Sucumbíos has also meant that El Aeropuerto neighbourhood now has public bathrooms. And a playground for children has been

rehabilitated, as Leonardo Maldonado, president of the neighbourhood, acknowledges, “benefiting all of us who live in the area”.

Ambassador Simas’ itinerary in Lago Agrio also included the Games Room of the Sucumbíos Women’s Federation, a play area for the sons and daughters

of women victims of violence. This first UNHCR field mission with the Brazilian delegation reached the 80 families distant community of El Palmar on the

banks of the Putumayo River, where 60% of the population are refugees.

“So far some of the school children haven’t had a classroom of their own; they were in a little hut. This new room means they can be educated in dignified

conditions,” explains the head mistress of “La Paz” Primary School.

As Luis Varese, UNHCR Deputy Representative remarks, “It is unprecedented that a supportive country such as Brazil, in the same continent, helped us

seek solutions for a situation with tragic humanitarian fall-out in the region. This is the first primary school to be opened by UNHCR with Brazilian funds in

Latin America within a South-South cooperation framework".

To which Ambassador Simas himself adds: “Within the concept of regional integration, it is very important for these bonds of cooperation among our

nations to take root and for us to make contributions that bring home the message that continental solidarity is indeed possible”.

“La Paz” primary school, attended by 91 children, now has a new classroom. And its toilets have been greatly improved. It is a step in the right direction,

even though, in this part of the Ecuador communities bordering Colombia, there is still no safe drinking water or sewage system. And despite the name of

the school, peace can by no means be taken for granted. Sonia Aguilar in El Palmar and Lago Agrio

March 2011

Brazil supports the integration of refugees in northern

Ecuador

Relevant Events

For more info please contact

Daniel Criado Cortázar criadoco@unhcr.org // Andrea Durango durangoa@unhcr.org

Population of Concern

Total

as at December 2010 Type of Population

Total

UNHCR-assisted

Recognized Refugees 53,342 53,342

UNHCR Ecuador Total Needs 2011

Year 2011

Total Needs (USD) 21,795,273 USD

• UNHCR Presence: Branch Office (Quito), Sub-Office (Lago Agrio), Field

Offices (Esmeraldas, Ibarra, Tulcan and Quito) and presence in Santo

Domingo and Cuenca. UNHCR activities are carried out by 85 staff

members (70 nationals and 15 internationals).

• Main Government Counterparts: Directorate for Refugees (GR) –

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Integration

• UNHCR’s Implementing Partners: Ecuadorian Red Cross, Federación de

Artesanos Recolectores de Productos Bioacuaticos del Manglar

(FEDARPOM), Fondo Ecuatoriano Populorum Progressio, (FEPP)

Fundación Ambiente y Sociedad, (FAS) Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society

(HIAS), Jesuit Refugee Service (SJRM), Consejo Gubernativo de Bienes

Diocesanos de la Diócesis de Tulcán, Unidad de Cooperación para el

desarrollo de los pueblos (UCODEP), Comité Pro Refugiados, Federación

de Mujeres de Sucumbíos, Fundación Solidaridad Humana.

For more info please contact

Daniel Criado Cortázar criadoco@unhcr.org // Andrea Durango durangoa@unhcr.org

• In Lago Agrio, the Director of Directorate for Refugees highlighted the need for accelerated individual case processing, and advocated a series of

measures aimed to prevent abuses of the system, such as more effective revocation, cancellation and cessation procedures, the newly-instated admission

procedure, as well as additional regularization options for migrants not in need of international protection currently examined by the Ministry of Foreign

Affairs. He made these statements during a meeting with various local authorities, UNHCR and implementing partners.

• Junta de Andalucía pledged for a 900,000 EUR contribution towards 2011 UNCHR operation in Ecuador. The southern Spanish province of Andalucia

pledges for its second time for UNHCR Ecuador, giving sustainability and increasing their contribution by 200,000 EUR in comparison with 2010. The

objective of the contribution is to strengthen the international protection regime, provide humanitarian assistance and improve the reception conditions

for refugees and asylum seekers in Ecuador.

• In the framework of the “Living Together in Solidarity Campaign”, UNHCR organized in Quito a meeting with all Public Information Officers from UN

agencies in order to coordinate the 2011 activities concerning this campaign. Additionally, it was agreed to meet with the communications persons from

some governmental entities in order to coordinate activities for the International Year of Afro descendants.

• Several international journalists visited the border provinces. A BBC reporter working on rural refugees in Ecuador joined SOLA in a mission to border

communities. The expected communication materials (video and article) will be published in the coming weeks. A Norwegian reporter of the Afterposten

(biggest diary in Norway) joined SOLA in another mission to three border communities and also met refugee families living in urban neighbourhoods.

UNHCR Ecuador Newsletter The largest Refugee operation in Latin America

Year II. Issue No. 6

Relevant Events

March 2011

Special attention

to CHILDREN and

ADOLESCENTS

Fighting GENDER

violence

Focusing on

DIVERSITY – Indigenous

Communities and Afro-population

1. ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF THE ASYLUM PROCEDURE IN ECUADOR

2. SEARCH FOR DURABLE SOLUTIONS EFFECTIVE ACCESS TO RIGHTS

3. INITIAL HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE –

BASIC NEEDS

4. CAMPAING AGAINST XENOPHOBIA AND DISCRIMINATION

• Improving access to documentation to refugees and asylum

seekers.

• Guarantee access of refugees and asylum seekers to RSD

procedure (Refugee Status Determination)

• Focusing all efforts on local integration activities

• Enhancing the resettlement programme, in particular

Solidarity resettlement South-South.

• Voluntary repatriation

• Introduction of a voucher system which allows refugees the

access to basic products.

• Strengthening UNHCR protection networks.

• Strengthening links with local media, information platforms

and journalists.

• Consolidating the campaign against xenophobia and

discrimination launched by the civil society, Government and

UNHCR.

UNHCR Ecuador – Main Fields of

Action 2011