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UNA-UK joins UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today in calling on its members and supporters to spare a thought for the millions of children, women and men who have been forced from their homes. In his message to mark World Refugee Day, Mr Ban said "no one wants to become a refugee. No one should have to endure this humiliating and arduous ordeal. Yet millions do". Mr Ban noted that prolonged conflict and instability remain major causes of displacement, citing the unfolding crises in North Africa and the Middle East as current drivers. But he noted that the reasons for displacement were now more diverse, with people increasingly fleeing their homes because of extreme poverty, environmental degradation and climate change. At present, an estimated 44 million people in the world are refugees. The vast majority of them - some 80% - have fled to developing countries. Despite anti-refugee sentiment in many industrialised nations, the UK included, it is the world's poorest nations and some of its most instable that are home to the biggest refugee populations. In absolute terms, Pakistan, Iran and Syria host the most refugees, at 1.9 million, 1.1 million and 1 million respectively. In terms of the economic impact of refugees, Pakistan also tops the list, with 710 refugees for each US dollar of its per capita GDP. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya follow, with 475 and 247 respectively. By comparison, Germany - the industralised nation with the highest number of refugees - has 17 refugees for each dollar of per capita GDP. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the UN Refugee Agency, which has helped millions of refugees to re-start their lives. In the UK, UNHCR is celebrating the contributions that refugees make to society with its '100% British, created by refugees' campaign. |
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World Refugee Day