World Refugee Day Marked as a Record 65 Million People Displaced

(voiceofamerica) GENEVA— It's not just that the doors of Europe are closing to refugees; for those who have survived sniper fire, minefields, swift-moving rivers and roadside bombs, just trying to get into overflowing refugee camps in their home countries is proving impossible.

They are among the record 65.3 million people worldwide displaced from their homes, according to the U.N. refugee agency, the UNHCR — a 10 percent increase over last year. Half of them are children.

"Twenty-four people are displaced every minute," said UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi. "Two-thirds of the forcibly displaced are internally displaced. Ninety percent of the forcibly displaced are displaced in poor or middle-income countries, not in the rich world."

Close to 10 million of the world's refugees are Syrian. Three million have fled to neighboring countries; the rest are internally displaced within Syria.

While Syria remains the largest forcibly displaced crisis in the world, neighboring Iraq has been overwhelmed by people fleeing Islamic State-held territory.

"They've been eating rotting, expired dates and drinking from the river, which is unfit for drinking, and now they are finding themselves out there and we are unable to cope and help everyone," said Karl Schembri, a spokesman for the Norwegian Refugee Council in Baghdad.

For those who have found haven in the camps, an atmosphere of despair is descending. Like many others, the Harsham refugee camp in northern Iraq is taking on an air of permanence. Camp manager Ahmed Abdo says the residents have lost hope of returning home.

"The people have been trying to improve their life by adding more rooms to their living areas, including guest rooms, as well as other facilities attached to the house, because honestly these people have given up hope that they can go back to their homes and houses in the near future."

It's not just the Middle East. In Kenya, the Dadaab camp is slated for closure, leaving hundreds of thousands of Somali refugees in limbo.

"Young people, who have been living here for more than 25 years, whose only known home is here, are now worried about their future," says camp official Ruqiyo Ali Raage, noting that the prospect of returning to Somalia is raising alarms.

High commissioner Grandi tells VOA that new areas of displacement keep popping up. While Burundi has been in and out of conflict for decades, he says that over the past year, there has been a surge of internally displaced people and refugees.

"Then there are crises like South Sudan that have also gone through different phases. We are, unfortunately, in an upsurge phase," Grandi said. "There is a new movement out of Afghanistan. Even people that have been refugees in Iran for a long time — Afghans — are moving on."

During the past year, millions of refugees and migrants have tried to reach Europe, and the UNHCR is warning of a "climate of xenophobia" across the continent.

In May, 19,000 migrants came ashore in Italy from North Africa. The European Union is seeking to cooperate with Libyan coast guards to stem the flow, but that is not the right way to deal with the crisis, argues Gauri van Gulik of Amnesty International. [Full Story]

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