World Refugee Day
Today is World Refugee Day. As someone with the sort of job I have, you’d think I would keep track of such things, but I am in summer mode — I completely forgot the date until I saw our own Laura’s post at JustPeaceNow.
By the time I see the refugees, they’re safe, under the protection of the US government, living in apartments in central Texas, and starting to adjust to US schools and life in Texas. Many of my students have had their only education inside of refugee camps, and the majority have relatives still in the countries they ran from, or still in refugee camps.
From Laura:
Remember the Displaced on International Refugee Day
(Photo by Ahktar Soomro of Reuters)
Nearly 45 million people across the globe have been displaced from their homes, but, unless they have crossed a border and left their countries, they are not considered refugees, and thus are not entitled to international protection. Their governments, which may or may not be hostile to those displaced, are responsible for protecting and assisting IDPs. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres notes: “it’s a very difficult situation in some countries where the government has a very harsh attitude in relation to any attempt … to deliver protection and assistance to these people.” In Sri Lanka, for example, there is growing concern that government camps for IDPs are fast becoming “internment facilities.”
A recent survey indicates that there are about 13.6 million refugees in the world–twice that number and more are internally displaced. The same survey finds that Gaza is one of the worst places in the world to be a refugee; Palestinians also comprise the “largest national group that has been displaced for the longest period of time.” I hope you’ve been following Laila El-Haddad’s fantastic blog: see her recent photo essay of Palestinian refugees here.
Take AlertNet’s Refugee Week Quiz to test your knowledge of refugee issues world-wide. But before you do, go to Gorilla’s Guides to learn how to download an album created by 3 Iraqi musicians (and refugees). The proceeds benefit programs serving other refugees in Iraq. You can listen to your new music (as I am, while typing this) and re-experience the interconnectedness of our world.
The UNHRC asks this:
From Global Ministries:
Of the eleven million refugees in the world today, seven million have been “warehoused,” in camps or segregated settlements for 10 years or longer. In camps, refugees live in crowded conditions in some of the most remote and inhospitable living conditions. Refugees are not allowed to grow their own food. Nor are they allowed to earn an income for their labor. They survive on meager food rations and water that is trucked in or wells which are dug for them. Waiting in line for water is a major activity of the day. Tents and temporary structures become permanent homes. Safety is not assured. Refugee camps are not safe places to raise a family and yet many children are born there. While refugees wait for the opportunity to return home, locally integrate or be resettled, they stagnate, become dependent, lack stimulation, lose motivation and even hope resulting in a tremendous waste of human potential.
Lots of info about refugees available here.
Links and more here.
The International Rescue Committee has a website and a twitter feed.
My prayer: May the world become safe enough for all people to be safe in their native lands and wherever they choose to be. And my our country never again engage in the sort of policies that force people to become refugees.
what a shame this day has to even exist, but we must continue to work towards fixing this most unfixable problem