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Girls collect water at an Oxfam hand pump in Kebkabiye, North Darfur. Photo: Eva-Lotta Jansson/Oxfam America
Across the world an increasing number of people are being forced to flee their homes. They are driven out by persecution for their political beliefs, targeted for ill treatment because of their ethnic group, or compelled to leave as a result of war or natural disaster.
Some cross an international border and become refugees; others remain in their own country as internally displaced people. International law sets standards and locates responsibility for the welfare and protection of these people. It is important to know that refugees and internally displaced people have rights:
- The right to humanitarian assistance
- The right to protection from abuse
- The right to seek asylum
What Oxfam is doing
Advocating for people's rights
We seek to ensure that the systems and laws designed to protect and help people in times of crisis are upheld and functioning properly. Often this means putting pressure on governments to respect and act according to their obligations.
We advocate that people in crisis situations have rights to asylum, obtain assistance and be protected from abuse.
We support and continue to advocate for the principle of the responsibility to protect. This principle makes it the responsibility of individual governments and the international community to protect civilians from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.
Protecting people in crisis
All people have the right to be protected from human rights violations, but during times of armed conflict people's safety and security are often threatened.
We aim to protect people in crisis situations by helping to set up displaced people's camps in ways that improve public safety.
Appropriate camp lighting, special areas for vulnerable people such as unaccompanied children, positioning of toilets - all can reduce people's vulnerability to harm.Find out more about our humanitarian work with internally displaced people in Darfur (Sudan) and Timor-Leste.
Bringing the message home
Our Refugee Realities online project puts you in the position of a refugee or internally displaced person trying to find safety and a long-term solution.