The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has released its annual study on forced displacement. 70.8 million children, women and men were forcibly displaced at the close of 2018. This is the highest number recorded in the history of UNHCR (and it’s probably on the low side). The full report is available at the following link: https://www.unhcr.org/globaltrends2018/
67% of all refugees come from just five countries: Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Myanmar and Somalia. These are all countries where EU-CORD members are working across the peacebuilding-development and humanitarian nexus and as such, we have signed the Joint Learning Initiative (JLI) statement for global solidarity and delivery of the Global Compact on Refugees.
The statement in full:
The diversity of origins and traditions which make humanity unique are being targeted by intolerance, sometimes by brutal violence, and refugees are often on the front line of this assault. Reinforcing the traditional role of faith communities in offering sanctuary to refugees, more than 25 faith-based actors express their further commitment to upholding the dignity of refugees through offering effective protection, access to social services and fulfilment of human rights and enhancing peacebuilding efforts. Based on their religious teachings, as well as on the experience that some of their communities have of being targeted themselves, faith-based actors seek to address xenophobia as one of their special responsibilities.
The Global Compact on Refugees specifically recognizes the contribution and long-standing experience of faith-based actors in supporting refugees and will highlight these contributions at the Global Refugee Forum. Whether supporting refugees, including children, on their journey to safety including in reception and admission, meeting protection or service delivery needs and supporting communities to find solutions such as private sponsorship programmes, faith-based actors are committed to working alongside states and the rest of the global humanitarian community to deliver the promise of the Global Compact on Refugees.
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