World Refugee Day commemorates the obstacles refugees face each year, while also celebrating their courage and strength. Since 2001, the United Nations and more than 100 countries have observed World Refugee Day annually on June 20th.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has started the #WithRefugees petition to send a message of action, solidarity, and responsibility on behalf of refugees to governments worldwide.
Together, we can work to end the refugee crisis and find homes for displaced peoples worldwide. Here are seven facts to help you better understand the current refugee crisis, and how you can help:
According to the UNHCR, there are 65.3 million forcibly displaced people around the world.More than 21 million of these people are refugees and 10 million are stateless. On average, 42,500 people per day flee their homes to seek protection within the borders of their own country or other countries.In the last year alone, there have been 13.9 million people newly displaced. The civil war in Syria has led to one of the worst humanitarian crises of our lifetime.More than 11 million Syrians are currently displaced. This amounts to 45% of the Syrian population. 86% of the world's refugees are hosted by developing countries.This number has jumped by 16% in the last decade. Refugees only account for a tiny percentage of overall immigration. The world’s largest refugee camp is located in Dadaab, Kenya, which is home to more than 329,000 people.The Dadaab refugee camp was been threatened with closures due to potential security risks. Of the 20 million refugees worldwide, 51% are under the age of 18.This is the highest number of child refugees since World War II. The first-ever Refugee Team competed at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.The team was comprised of athletes from Ethiopia, South Sudan, The Democratic Republic of Congo, and Syria.
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