UN marks World Refugee Day

(June, 20, 2012) World Refugee Day observed on June 20 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the situation of refugees throughout the world. The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon in his message for the day said “We must work together to mobilize the political will and leadership to prevent and end the conflicts that trigger refugee flows. Despite budget constraints everywhere, we must not turn away from those in need. Refugees leave because they have no choice. We must choose to help” he said. Today, more than 42 million people around the world have been forcibly displaced from their homes and communities. More than a million have fled their countries in the last 18 months alone, due to a wave of conflicts in the Ivory Coast, Libya, Mali, Somalia, Sudan and Syria. Ban Ki -Moon’s message said these numbers represent far more than statistics: they are individuals and families, whose lives have been uprooted, whose communities have been destroyed and whose future remains uncertain. He said World Refugee Day is a moment to remember all those affected, and a time to intensify our support.
Last Sunday in his midday Angelus message, Pope Benedict XVI also referred to the UN World Refugee Day. The Holy Father noted that the purpose of the day is to draw the international community’s attention to the situation of so many persons, especially families, who are forced to feel their homelands because of armed conflicts and grave forms of violence.
According to estimates, four out of five refugees are in developing countries and have benefitted from the remarkable generosity of host countries . The theme of World Refugee Day 2012 is “Restoring hope”.