At a time where populist voices in member states dominate the debate on migration and displacement, the EU can provide principled leadership.

An alarming estimate of 15.3 million people in Afghanistan were facing food insecurity in 2023. Today, starvation could likely kill more Afghans than the last twenty years of war have.

As a country already prone to natural disasters, climate change has increased Afghanistan’s likelihood of suffering extreme weather events. This is having devastating effects on access to food and has contributed to putting one million children at risk of severe malnutrition. Compounding this crisis, 2023 marked the country's third successive year plagued by drought-like conditions, with 35% of Afghanistan's population finding themselves confronting acute food insecurity. The drought has led to households struggling with malnutrition even after harvest.

Supporting the integration of refugees has become an issue of priority for Greece. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), with longstanding experience in supporting refugees and asylum-seekers in many countries around the world, believes that integration is a pathway that, in order to be successful, should begin as soon as possible and should also be supported in a way that takes into account the strengths and needs of refugee women in particular. In this briefing, the IRC recommends that Greece seizes the opportunity of the ongoing negotiations on the next European Union (EU) Multi Annual Financial Framework6 to devise a pragmatic long-term integration strategy and an accompanying action plan to evaluate its progress, through measurable indicators.

Amidst the journeys undertaken by numerous asylum seekers across the Americas in pursuit of safety and security, they encounter a significant challenge: the lack of reliable information to alleviate their hardships. Hence, the IRC supports displaced people on their journey by facilitating access to digital platforms where they can encounter information and services they need. This initiative forms a crucial component of an integrated regional project funded by the European Union (EU).

Three years of full-scale war and over a decade of hostilities have shattered the lives of millions of Ukrainians. Normal life remains out of reach as heavy shelling continues, especially in the southeast of the country, damaging homes, hospitals, schools and other civilian infrastructure. More than 13.7 million people in Ukraine are currently in need of humanitarian assistance. Funding from the European Union has been instrumental in allowing the IRC’s Protection and Rule of Law (PRoL) team to provide legal consultations, case management, information sessions and psychological support to people, many of whom are displaced and struggling to meet their basic needs.