Table of Contents
- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has released its annual Global Trends report before the World Refugee Day (20th June).
REPORT
- Published every year
- To count and track the numbers of refugees, internally displaced people, people who have returned to their countries or areas of origin, asylum-seekers, stateless people and other populations of concern to UNHCR.
Displacement in 2019
- Nearly 80 million people were forcibly displaced by the end of 2019 — which is nearly 1% of the global population.
- Half of those displaced were children.
- Of the 80 million people, 26 million were cross-border refugees, 45.7 million were internally displaced people, 4.2 million were asylum seekers and 3.6 million were Venezuelans displaced abroad.
- More than eight of every 10 refugees (85%) are in developing countries, generally a country neighbouring the one they fled.
- Five countries account for two-thirds of people displaced across borders: Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, South Sudan and Myanmar.
- Syria has been the top country of origin for refugees since 2014.
Reason of Displacement
- Persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations or events seriously disturbing public order were the main reasons behind the forced displacement.
- 80% of the world’s displaced people are in countries or territories affected by acute food insecurity and malnutrition – many of them facing climate and other disaster risk.
Comparison of Displacement in Past Decade (2010-19)
- The number of refugees doubled from about 10 million in 2010 to 20.4 million at the end of 2019.
- 1 in every 97 people were affected by forced displacement in 2019, compared to 1 in every 159 people in 2010 and 1 in every 174 in 2005.
- Nearly to 40% of those displaced (or 30-34 million) forcibly between 2010-2019 include children below 18 years of age.
- Very few people who have been displaced were able to return to their homes.
- In the 1990s, on average 1.5 million refugees were able to return home each year. That number has fallen to around 3,85,000 in the past decade (2010-2019).
CONCLUSION
- Report underlines that forced displacement nowadays is not only vastly more widespread but is simply no longer a short-term and temporary phenomenon.
- The refugees should be provided asylum, since it is a human right.
- Countries should not deny asylum based on race, religion, geography etc.
- In the aftermath of World War II, most countries agreed to protect refugees through the 1951 Refugee Convention.
World Refugee Day
- International day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees around the globe.
- It falls each year on 20th June and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution.
- It is an occasion to build empathy and understanding for the refugee’s plight and to recognize their resilience in rebuilding their lives.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
- UNHCR is a UN Refugee Agency and a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting the rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people.
- It was created in 1950 to help millions of Europeans who had fled or lost their homes.
- It is headquartered at Geneva, Switzerland.
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