Real People, Real Needs

June 20th is World Refugee Day. With this year’s theme of “Real People, Real Needs”, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is drawing attention to the fact that refugees are individuals with real needs, just like you and me.

The HRC registers its support for the message from the UNHCR for World Refugee Day 2009:

“For the 42 million uprooted people around the world, a shortage or lack of the essentials of life – clean water, food, sanitation, shelter, health care and protection from violence and abuse – means that every day can be a struggle just to survive. This year, with the world economic crisis threatening to slash aid budgets and amid enormous global uncertainty, we need to ensure refugees are not forgotten. That’s why the theme for this year’s World Refugee Day on June 20 is ‘Real People, Real Needs.’

“Of the millions of people forcibly displaced by conflict, persecution and natural disasters, every one has a story to tell; they are real people, just like you and me, and they have real needs. But, despite the best efforts of UNHCR and many others, many of these basic needs are far from being met.

“A comprehensive assessment of the needs of refugees and other people cared for by the UN refugee agency revealed that 30 percent were unmet – a third of them in basic and essential services. Improvements in nutrition and water supplies, access to primary health care, strengthened child protection programmes, better protection for women from sexual violence and abuse, and improvements in living conditions and sanitation facilities are just some of the needs that are not being met worldwide.

“This World Refugee Day we ask you to remember the millions of forcibly displaced and stateless people under our care who are struggling with their day-to-day lives. One thing connects them all: basic needs that must be met so they have a chance to rebuild their lives.”

The UN Annual Report on Refugee Trend, launched earlier this week, indicates that 80% of refugees are in the developing world. This places an unbearably large burden on countries to meet the basic needs of these displaced individuals. During the launch, the High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Gutteres, urged the international community to not allow the global economic crisis to adversely affect humanitarian aid, stating that: “The amounts needed to rescue people are less than what is needed to rescue banks.”

The HRC encourages the people of the Cayman Islands to spare a moment for these individuals who find themselves forced from their homes and countries as a result of war, natural disaster or persecution. Real people who live in horrible circumstances, receiving meagre handouts and basic services that are available from countries and organisations like the UNHCR until some day they would be able to get back on their feet, whether at home or elsewhere.

World Refugee Day can be followed through live webcasts on the UNHCR website at www.unhcr.org. Visit the same site for more detailed information on the status of displaced populations across the globe.

For more information on the work of the HRC, please visit the HRC website at www.humanrights.ky.