UNB :
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said refugees need global solidarity and the ability to rebuild their lives in dignity.
“Generous host countries, mostly low- or middle-income countries, need the support and resources to fully include refugees in societies and economies,” he said in a message marking the World Refugee Day-2024 that falls on June 20.
When given the opportunity, refugees make significant contributions to their host communities, but they need access to equal opportunities and to jobs, housing, and healthcare. Young refugees need quality education to achieve their dreams, he said.
Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.3 million Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char.
From Sudan to Ukraine, from the Middle East to Myanmar to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and beyond, conflict, climate chaos and upheaval are forcing record numbers of people from their homes and fueling profound human suffering, said the UN chief.
The latest figures show that a total of more than 120 million people around the world are forcibly displaced, including 43.5 million refugees.
“World Refugee Day is about honouring their strength and courage – and stepping up efforts to protect and support refugees on every step of their journey,” he said.
“Let us pledge to reaffirm the world’s collective responsibility in assisting and welcoming refugees … in upholding their human rights including the right to seek asylum … in safeguarding the integrity of the refugee protection regime … and ultimately, in resolving conflicts so that those forced from their communities can return home,” Guterres said.
On 20 June every year, WHO joins UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and partners in marking the World Refugee Day.
This year’s campaign focuses on solidarity with refugees – for a world where refugees are welcomed, universal health coverage must include them as well.
At the end of 2023, an estimated 117.3 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations and events seriously disturbing the public order.