IOM: Wars, epidemics creates “Perfect Storm’ in migration - VIDEO
The world is currently facing a number of serious challenges,
and there has never been quite an array of what can be described as
a ”perfect storm,” William Lacy Swing, director general of the
International Organization for Migration (IOM), told “This Week in
Focus.”
Appearing as the guest speaker on ‘This Week in Focus’ Trend’s
web-tv program, Swing said that as a person who has been in
diplomacy for about 50 years, he has never seen such a complex
situation as the world currently is going through.
“We are in a period of unprecedented, simultaneous conflicts and
humanitarian disasters,” he said and pointed out the war in Iraq
and Afghanistan, the conflicts in Yemen, Libya, the war in Somalia,
South Sudan, Boko Haram terrorist organization in Nigeria, the
Ebola virus in West Africa, and other problems, were all
contributing to create one of the worst disasters.
“So, after a while, out of desperation, people started to look for
a way out,” Swing added.
He said that sometimes, there is a need to focus people's attention
on the real issue, and a wake-up call can help those in need. Swing
agreed that people often don't do a better job in trying to prevent
some of these conflicts or resolve them at earlier stage.
“I am not aware of any active negotiations or valuable political
process that could offer any hope in resolving any of these
conflicts in the short or medium term,” he added.
Swing believes that what is being done regarding public
information, awareness raising is not enough to attract necessary
attention to the mentioned issues and turn problem into
opportunity.
Meanwhile, regarding Azerbaijan, Swing said has visited the country
in early September and held a number of meetings here.
"My strategy is basically is seeking more partnership," he said.
"We have excellent relationship with the government and people of
Azerbaijan."
Touching upon the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
he expressed hope for the peaceful outcome and for that those who
had been displaced can be given their own rights.
More than a million Azerbaijanis have become refugees and IDPs as a
result of the occupation of the country’s lands by Armenia. In
order to resolve the social problems of these people, 5.1 billion
Azerbaijani manats were allocated in the last 20 years, according
to the country’s State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and
IDPs.
“I think the [Azerbaijani] government is doing very good job in
trying to help these people until the issue could be resolved,” he
added.
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