Diabetes is affecting more and more people every year. In the last decade, the number of people diagnosed with diabetes increased by almost 50%. By the year 2025, more than 300 million people around the world are expected to have been diagnosed with the condition. Many others who have diabetes will not have been diagnosed. Diabetes is also a threat to migrants, and in some cases migrants may be at higher risk of developing diabetes than non-migrants and receiving less care and support.

Over 400,000 people are thought to be trafficked into the European Union annually. Most are women under the age of 25. They are lured by false promise of jobs, often beated, abducted, and sold into prostitution for as little as USD 1,000. According to a recent report, 80% of prostitution in Western Europe have been trafficked from Moldova , the poorest of the former Soviet Union republics. Moldovan, Azerbaijani and Tajik women who are trafficked are mostly between 19 and 35 years old, and come from rural areas and most have already moved to major cities under their own volition. Their education is poor and 88% are estimated to already have one child.

As we move forward to combat the problem of sexual violence we must keep in mind that what we are really talking about is the preservation of human dignity and social cohesion. Ultimately, no one wins when rape and sexual violence are allowed to occur and go unattended. Victms are cruelly hurt and damaged. But aggressors too are debased and the social reconstruction and development of a cohesive society is undermined. As we move forward from this symposium organised by UNFPA with the Belgian Development Corporation and the European Union, I hope we will bring all our resources, our energies and our commitment together in a way that will make the most of whatever we have to offer.

 

TSUNAMI EVALUATION COALITION (TEC): THE ROLE OF NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN THE TSUNAMI REPORT, Claude de Ville de Goyet and Lezlie C Morinière Timeliness of needs assessments was determined by the capacity of the agencies involved to identify qualified personnel, mobilise logistics, and inform decision-makersn magnitude of need. Providing comprehensive coverage of needs was often difficult because of the geographical scope and magnitude of the disaster. Coordination of needs assessments was best in countries with strong governments such as Thailand, India and the Maldives. A major weakness was the lack of perceived added value of the humanitarian assessments for much of the decision making. The mass media was often the main source of information about humanitarian needs used by decion makers. People affected by the Tsunami often felt over-assessed but not really consulted.