World Refugee Day was observed around with world with the United Nations issuing a stark warning that over percent of humanity is displaced as of now.
According to the report, by the end of 2019, one of out every 97 people in the world was living either uprooted or displaced. Nearly 80 million people have been forced to flee their homes due to violence or persecution especially in war-ravaged countries or human rights violations and can’t return home.
UNHCR has stated that a record 78.5 million were living either as refugees, asylum seekers or internally displaced in their own country. Violence and conflict has doubled in recent years and there has been no political solution for their return. The situation could worsen next year as the international community is now more divided over the fate of refugees than ever before.
The UN states that one-third of refugees come from just five countries – Afghanistan, Syria. Myanmar, South Sudan, and Venezuela. More the 13 million people have been displaced in Syria ravaged by civil war ongoing for nine years. The number of refugees has doubled since the last decade and there is no hope or respite for their plight.
Pakistan still has the fourth-highest number of refugees. The Afghan peace process raised hopes that the country could be heading towards stability but insufficient progress has been made. Pakistan has stressed on the repatriation of Afghan refugees but many have become part of society and have been reluctant to go back home.
Most of the refugees are in developing countries and rich nations have refused to share the burden. The developed world has been building walls rather than embracing refugees. Trump brought policies to curb even legal immigration many of which violated its own constitution. Europe has made efforts to prevent refugees from crossing over and countries such as Turkey to face the brunt.
The situation could be much worse among the coronavirus pandemic and even the UN has not been able to ascertain the impact on refugees and displaced people. They could be among the worst at risk and have no access to healthcare. The world needs to unite and come up with a global consensus on the global refugee crisis.
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