World refugee day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honor refugees around the world. It is celebrated yearly on June 20th, to honor the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee out of their home country to escape conflict or persecution.
This day is dedicated to all refugees all over the world and points out the challenges faced by refugees.UNHCR recently established that there are over 26.6 million refugees worldwide. Kenya hosts over 520,000 refugees.
During this day, everybody gets an opportunity to experience, understand and celebrate the rich diversity of the communities of refugees all over the world.
There are various key facts about the world refugee day that you should know;
1. As per the UNHCR, there are 65.3 million individuals all over the world who have been forcefully displaced.
2. UNHCR’s Global Trends Report in 2021 reported that 82.4 million people have gotten displaced in 2020, amid the COVID pandemic.
3. 42,500 individuals daily run out of their homes in search of safety within their own country’s or other nation’s borders.
4. First-ever Refugee Team competed at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
5. 51 percent of the world’s 20 million refugees are under the age of 18 years.
Themed “Everyone has a right to seek safety”, this year’s celebrations are based on the right to seek safety and that all the refugees should be treated with dignity regardless of their origin.
BY IVAN OMBIRI