The United Nations General Assembly decided in 2001 that June 20th would be World Refugee Day. Every year on that day, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNRA) and numerous civic groups celebrate World Refugee Day to draw the public’s attention to the millions of refugees and displaced persons who have been forced from their homes because of war, religion, conflict and persecution.
Developing countries account for 80% of all refugees in the world. Encyclopedia Britannica defines a refugee as: “Any uprooted, homeless, involuntary migrant who has crossed a frontier and no longer possesses the protection of his former government.” Before the 19th century, the movement from one country to another didn’t require passports or visas, and the right to asylum was often recognized and honored.
The statistics are alarming; refugees worldwide are estimated at $50M. Children make up 46% of all refugees. Last year, South Sudan refugees in neighboring countries numbered 387,839. Registered Somali refugees came in at just under $1M last year. Of these 955,000+ refugees, 425, 879 were in Kenya, 244,956 were in Ethiopia, 233,723 in Yemen; the rest were scattered across seven other countries.
The UNHCR has touching and inspirational stories on their website, www.unhcr.org, and they list many ways you can help. You can make a donation, or spread the word to make more people aware of the global crisis of refugees. Anyone can work with the agency as an intern or a volunteer.
You can take initiative and let your friends and families know about the worldwide problem, it may inspire them to get involved. Additionally, you can subscribe to the UNHCR newsletter to stay up-to-date with breaking news and developments.
