The world celebrates World Refugee Day on Sunday, June 20 each year, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention. On this World Refugee Day, marked under the slogan "Together we recover, learn, and shine," the United Nations called for support for refugees worldwide, ensuring their protection and integration into healthcare, education, and sports systems. The Refugee Agency stated its goal of expanding refugees’ access to primary and secondary healthcare, reproductive health, and mental health services, empowering refugee children to access quality education so they can seek a better life.
World Refugee Day features a variety of activities organized in many countries around the globe to support refugees. These activities are led or participated in by the refugees themselves, as well as government officials, host communities, businesses, celebrities, schoolchildren, and the general public, among others. Millions worldwide, including artists, musicians, and even chefs, celebrate World Refugee Day through a series of events against a backdrop of grim statistics indicating that the number of people forced to leave their homes due to war and persecution is at an all-time high since records began.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the refugee crisis worldwide. According to United Nations data, the number of refugees surpassed 80 million globally by mid-last year. Despite the pandemic, the number of people fleeing war, violence, persecution, and human rights violations rose to nearly 82.4 million in 2020, as per the latest report on "Global Trends," recently released in Geneva. This marks another increase of 4 percent compared to the previous record level of 79.5 million people at the end of 2019.
In a speech on this occasion, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, pledged to do everything he can to assist millions of forcibly displaced individuals "not just to cope, but to thrive as well." Grandi expressed how deeply affected he has been and noted that refugees have been a source of inspiration during his 35-year career while commending their resilience and courage. However, he pointed out that while the agency works hard to rally global support, funding is low, and resettlement opportunities are extremely limited. He added: "On this World Refugee Day, and every day, my colleagues and I are committed to doing our utmost to help you not only to cope but to thrive." Grandi stated that despite the reality of more people being forcibly displaced than ever before, "better ways" have been developed to mobilize the world to assist the displaced.
