Today is World Refugee Day.
The figures are startling and terrible. So many refugees.... and their plight a blot on the world's inability to properly deal with and properly address the problem.
"The UN says 7.6 million people became refugees in 2012, with the total number now higher than at any time since 1994.
A report from the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says that Syria is "a major new factor" driving up refugee numbers.
The report says 55% of all refugees come from five countries: Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Sudan and Syria.
It also found that developing countries now hosted 81% of the world's refugees, 11% more than a decade ago.
"These truly are alarming numbers. They reflect individual suffering on a huge scale and they reflect the difficulties of the international community in preventing conflicts and promoting timely solutions for them," said UNHCR chief Antonio Guterres.
Mr Guterres said that the figure of 7.6 million meant there was a new displaced person every 4.1 seconds. "Each time you blink another person is forced to flee," he said."
The figures are startling and terrible. So many refugees.... and their plight a blot on the world's inability to properly deal with and properly address the problem.
"The UN says 7.6 million people became refugees in 2012, with the total number now higher than at any time since 1994.
A report from the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says that Syria is "a major new factor" driving up refugee numbers.
The report says 55% of all refugees come from five countries: Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Sudan and Syria.
It also found that developing countries now hosted 81% of the world's refugees, 11% more than a decade ago.
"These truly are alarming numbers. They reflect individual suffering on a huge scale and they reflect the difficulties of the international community in preventing conflicts and promoting timely solutions for them," said UNHCR chief Antonio Guterres.
Mr Guterres said that the figure of 7.6 million meant there was a new displaced person every 4.1 seconds. "Each time you blink another person is forced to flee," he said."
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