One day they had to leave their home, their country, their job, friends, and hobbies with a few things in their hands. Fleeing death, the refugees found themselves in a new country where everything was unfamiliar, unusual and incomprehensible. These people, for the most part, have no jobs, no money, and no prospects. They can only hope for help from the international community.
71 million refugees
Kate Blanchett, UN Goodwill Ambassador for Refugees, visited Niger, South Sudan and Jordan. According to her, she met people who have dedicated their lives to helping refugees suffering from various emergencies. Kate admired their energy, their experience and their courage. These people are literally making the world a better place to live.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was created in 1950 to help refugees in Europe after the World War. The organization currently employs 17,000 people in 134 countries around the world, helping 71 million refugees globally. Personally, I admire these people.
What are refugees fleeing from?
The main causes that drive millions of people to flee their homes are natural disasters, wars, inter-ethnic conflicts, and global climate change. These people are willing to give up everything to survive on their own and give their children a chance at a normal life. Here are the latest examples.
The influx of refugees from Sudan resulted from a conflict between the country’s army and the paramilitary organization, the Operational Support Force. While the military was killing each other, thousands of civilians were forced to flee the country. In the capital, Khartoum, a residential war broke out in April. People were left without water and electricity for 24 hours. Violence against civilians took place in the streets. Ordinary people could not even go to the store to buy food. Due to the influx of wounded, the city’s hospitals were short of places. More than 100,000 people from Sudan came to neighboring countries, most of them on foot: Egypt, Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, Chad, and Southern Sudan. In addition, these countries are not the richest in the world. It is even scary to imagine what the refugee camps there look like.
In July of this year, another military coup took place in Niger, and power was handed over to the National Council for the Protection of the Motherland, in simple words to the military junta. The military closed the borders, suspended the work of state institutions, and declared a curfew. Niger is a key European partner in controlling the transit of migrants and refugees through Western Africa. Today, the country hosts some 200,000 refugees who have escaped the violence of the jihadists in Mali and Burkina Faso.
Even before the coup, more than 3 million people in Niger were in need of humanitarian assistance, more than 2 million of whom were on the verge of starvation. Yet, only one third of humanitarian assistance to refugees in Niger has been funded by rich countries this year. Therefore, despite the outraged junta, the UN continues to provide assistance to the people of Niger.
Where are the most refugees?
Jordan hosts the world’s largest per capita refugee population. When the war broke out in Syria, the country set up a Za’atari camp, which housed 25,000 people. Currently, it is the largest camp for Syrian refugees in the world. There are 80,000 people there, half of them children. This is the most vulnerable category of refugees – innocent children forced to live in the field. More than 1 million Syrians live outside refugee camps in the same Jordan.
Although Jordan is a small country, the leadership of the state is doing everything possible so that Syrians can live, work and receive education.
Do what you can to help
It is hard to understand how people feel when they have to leave their homes. I cannot imagine how they survive without essentials that we do not even pay attention to.
I urge everyone to be more tolerant to refugees if they are finding refuge in your country and to actively help them. These people represent a different culture, sometimes difficult to understand. But it has to be done. They suffered a lot. A refugee camp is not a resort, not a spa hotel, not a vacation. It is not easy for refugees to live in such conditions. Help them in whatever way you can — with clothes, food, or donations. For example, I donated EUR 510,000 to UNICEF, which protects children’s rights. Support the refugee as much as you can.
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