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In 2000, the United Nations designated June 20 as World Refugee Day, to honor “the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to flee their homeland under threat of persecution, conflict and violence.”
Almost two decades on, though a lot of work has been done by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as well as NGOs, companies and governments, we are still witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record.
A young displaced Iraqi stands behind a fence as people wait to fill jerricans with water at al-Khazir camp for the internally displaced, located between Arbil and Mosul on June 20, 2017. /VCG Photo
According to UNHCR’s latest figures, an unprecedented 65.6 million people around the world have been forced from home. Among them are nearly 22.5 million refugees.
Of all the refugee-hosting countries, Syria continues to lead in numbers, mostly as a consequence of the everlasting Syrian war. As actors who are getting involved in the regional conflicts, the Western countries have been accusing China of not caring about Syrian refugees and providing scant money and resources.
However, speaking to CGTN’s The Point with Liu Xin, Francis Teoh, acting representative for UNHCR’s Beijing Office, said the opposite is true.
"China has provided funding for Syrian refugees in Iraq of two million dollars, and for the Afghanistan operation, China has already funded 1 million dollars to assist the winterization program,” he pointed out. “Last Month, during the One Belt, One Road Forum Beijing has hosted, China pledged additional funds to assist UNHCR with refugees along the Belt and Road. As one of the permanent numbers of the UN Security Council, China has also contributed the largest number of peacekeepers in refugee conflict areas in many parts of the world."
On the other hand, US President Donald Trump is seeking to cut American foreign aid and building the Mexican Wall, and in the Europe, there is a noticeable shift to populism. All together bring new challenges for UNHCR’s work in solving the refugee crisis across the world.
Teoh said, “Now we are looking at 65.6 million people in displacement. 10 years ago, it was half of the number. The international community has to come together to address this problem of individuals who are fleeing persecution, fleeing war, fleeing to have a better life. It’s collaborative cooperation between governments. I hope the international community will not forget that refugees are not a burden, and they are there not because they want to, and they have no choice but to leave for better life."
