As global conflicts and natural disasters rage, the world faces a growing refugee crisis. This is the largest mass displacement since the end of the Second World War, with over 82 million people currently displaced worldwide. Most are refugees: people who have been forced to flee their homes by war, violence or persecution and have crossed international borders to seek safety. Others are internally displaced persons (IDPs) who remain within their country of origin but are at risk and struggling to survive.
Refugees face many challenges in their new places of asylum, often experiencing ongoing poverty and exclusion in host communities, as well as a lack of access to essential services, especially health and education. They also frequently experience a sense of disconnection and loss from their families, as a result of ongoing displacement and the absence of family reunification policies. In addition, xenophobia and racial discrimination can contribute to mental distress.
In response, refugees around the world are pushing for solutions that will improve their quality of life and provide them with hope for the future. On 17 December, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed a global compact on refugee protection and responsibility-sharing, which calls for increased international cooperation.
NGOs like Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres work at every step of the refugee journey, from treacherous migration routes to the inhumane detention centers that too many are being held in. We also bear witness and speak out against harmful government policies that keep out vulnerable displaced people.