World Refugee Day 2021

World Refugee Day June 20th 2021.

Join us this year on World Refugee Day and support refugees across the globe to be protected and included in health care education and support.

Theme for 2021: Together we Heal, Learn and Shine.

World Refugee Day is observed on June 20 to respect and honor the courage and resilience of refugees across the globe. The United Nations designated the day to celebrate the strength and courage of people forced to flee their homes and countries to escape conflict or persecution. World Refugee Day is also a day to build empathy and understanding of their plight and to recognize their efforts in rebuilding their lives. The day recognises the rights, needs and dreams of refugees. 

Why is World Refugee Day important?

World Refugee Day shines a light on the rights, needs and dreams of refugees, helping to mobilize political will and resources so refugees can not only survive but also thrive. While it is important to protect and improve the lives of refugees every single day, international days like World Refugee Day help to focus global attention on the plight of those fleeing conflict or persecution. Many activities held on World Refugee Day create opportunities to support refugees.

 

When is World Refugee Day? When did World Refugee Day start?

World Refugee Day falls each year on June 20 and is dedicated to refugees around the globe. World Refugee Day was held globally for the first time on June 20, 2001, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. It was originally known as Africa Refugee Day, before the United Nations General Assembly officially designated it as an international day in December 2000.

What happens on World Refugee Day?

Each year, World Refugee Day is marked by a variety of events in many countries around the globe in support of refugees. These activities are led by or involve refugees themselves, government officials, host communities, companies, celebrities, school children and the general public, among others. 

 

Here are five facts about refugees you need to know this World Refugee Day:

1) Who is a refugee?

A person forced to flee his or her country following persecution, war or violence is a refugee. According to the United Nations people who fled their homes and countries due to “a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion” is a refugee.  

2) What’s the number of refugees worldwide?

At the end of 2020, a mammoth 82.4 million remained forcibly displaced worldwide due to persecution, conflict, violence or human rights violations. According to the UN, the COVID-19 pandemic slowed the rate of displacement, and thus the number of people seeking asylum remains high. In 2020 alone, asylum-seekers submitted 1.1 million new claims, the UN said. 

3) A refugee camp

More than 6 million refugees live in camps worldwide, as per the United Nations records. These camps are temporary facilities offering immediate protection and assistance to people forced to flee their homes due to war, persecution or violence. The camps are not a permanent solution, but they give shelter to refugees and help them meet their basic needs – such as food, water, shelter, medical treatment and other basic services in times of emergencies.

4) Which country hosts the largest number of refugees?

Turkey currently hosts 3.6 million refugees, the largest by a single country, followed by Columbia that shelters 1.8 million people, including people who fled Venezuela in the last few years, according to the latest 

 

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