Sudanese refugees at a UN transit point in South Sudan. 120 million people on the planet have been forced to flee their homes Refugees and migrants
From Sudan to Ukraine, the Middle East to Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of Congo and beyond, record numbers of people are being forced from their homes by conflict, climate chaos and disruption. This was stated by the UN Secretary-General in his message on the occasion of World Refugee Day, which is celebrated on June 20.
According to the head of the UN, more than 120 million people around the world were forced to leave their homes, of which 43.5 million are refugees who fled their countries.
“World Refugee Day is an opportunity for us to celebrate their strength and courage, and to strengthen our efforts to protect and support refugees at every step of their journey,” said António Guterres.
He called on the international community to commit to assisting refugees, welcoming them, protecting and ensuring human rights, and ultimately resolving conflicts so that people forced from their homelands can return home.  ;
Desperate Situation
“The situation has rarely been as desperate as where I am now: Jamjang, South Sudan,” said High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi in a statement marking the Day. He said nearly 700,000 people have crossed the border from neighboring Sudan in recent months, fleeing a devastating war. >Refugees are not just a problem for rich countries, the High Commissioner stressed, adding that three quarters of the world’s refugees live in countries with low or modest incomes. Therefore, it is incorrect and irresponsible to say that most of them are trying to get into Europe or the United States, he recalled.
“Enough look at the tragedy unfolding in Sudan: neighboring South Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia and Egypt are providing refuge to Sudanese fleeing the horrors of war,” Grandi said. These countries show that solidarity is possible even in the most difficult circumstances, he added .
Global progress
Today also marks progress, the High Commissioner said in a statement. In this context, he referred to a new plan in Kenya to convert refugee camps into settlements. Also in Colombia, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) supports a government system to integrate nearly 2.3 million Venezuelans into the local labor market. In Ukraine UNHCR helped create a platform supporting people returning to rebuild their homes.
“Let’s not  ;let’s leave refugees in limbo. Instead, let’s give them the opportunity to use their skills and talents and contribute to the communities that have taken them in,” Grundy said.
This requires investment, he said. At the same time, the level of international funding to help those fleeing the war in Sudan and for humanitarian programs in many other crisis situations is now insufficient.
“On World Refugee Day and every In a typical day, we can all do more to show solidarity with refugees and work to create a world where they are welcome or can safely return home,” the High Commissioner stressed.