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More than 50 million people have been forced to leave their homes because of conflicts that have occurred around the world. The shocking figure was arrived at in the annual trends report recently released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The number of refugees, asylum- seekers and internally displaced people indicate that new conflicts continue to multiply each day while we still battle out the older ones. This number points out at the grave situation that we are in as it has been taken from the post-World War II era. In 2013 alone, 11 million people were forced from their homes as a result of conflict, persecution, violence or human rights violation.
Iraq continues to face large-scale displacement. The civil war in Syria forced tens of thousands of people to seek shelter in Iraq, including Iraqi refugees who fled there after the U.S.-led invasion. The Iraqis who sought refuge in Syria between 2003 and 2011 are now returning home, bringing the number of internally displaced persons to roughly 2.8 million. Even despite heavy expansions, camps remain over capacity, understaffed and ill-equipped. In the past week, Sunni jihadis from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant have burned down villages and cities. Now, at least 300,000 displaced Iraqis have flooded into areas controlled by the KRG, north of Mosul.
The unending war in Afghanistan has displaced millions from their homes for over three decades. Despite the large number of refugees from Syria and the Arab world raising the count, Afghanistan still remains the leading country of origin of refugees. On average, one out of four refugees in the world is from Afghanistan. There are about 1.6 million legally registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan; while another 2- 3 million are in the country illegally. The ongoing Operation ‘Zarb-e-Azb’ in Pakistan’s northwest frontier has reportedly caused tens of thousands of civilians caught in the cross-fire to flee their homes.
The Afghans have had to face severe economic insecurity, many are unable to return to their places of origin due to lack of a viable livelihood. Afghanistan is currently in the process of forming a new government and despite threats from the Taliban; people have stepped up to vote for a new government. It will be interesting to see the profound US influence balanced with true democratic participation while restoring order to the country.
Since the end of last year, 2.5 million Syrians had fled across the country’s borders and 6.5 million have been internally displaced – which account for more than 40% of the population. Today, they make up the single largest group of internally displaced persons, with 6.5 million displaced within the country by the end of 2013. The war in Syria illustrates how quickly a country’s fate can be overturned by civil war. In 2008, it was the world’s second largest refugee-hosting country. Within a span of five years, it has become the world’s second largest refugee-producing country.
A vast majority of Syrian refugees have poured into Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, while another 6.5 million remain displaced inside Syria’s borders, including those who remain beyond the reach of humanitarian agencies. The conflict has uprooted many families several times. Their access to food, water, shelter and medical care is extremely limited, and because they remain inside a conflict zone, it is extremely difficult for aid agencies to reach them.
There have also been reports of Palestinians inside Syria being targeted by government forces and rebels. Scores of Palestinians who left for Jordan during 2012 have been held at transit centres on the border, forbidden to enter the country and unable to return to Syria in safety.
The numbers provided by the survey show that out of the estimated 51.2 million, 3.5 million refugees reside in countries covered by UNHCR’s Asia and Pacific region. Of these, more than 2.4 million are Afghans (69 per cent) in Pakistan and Iran. Sub-Saharan Africa is host to more than 2.9 million, primarily from Somalia (778,400), Sudan (605,400), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (470,300), the Central African Republic (251,900), and Eritrea (198,700).
The report shows 16.7 million refugees, 33.3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 1.2 million asylum seekers. The total figure increased by 6 million from 2012 mainly by the war in Syria, making it the largest group of internally displaced people. U.N. officials have been scrambling to provide basic services while preparing to cope with these astounding numbers. The recent conflicts in Iraq, Syria, central Africa and South Sudan have further fuelled this increase. While we talk of these numbers, thousands of refugees from forgotten crises have already spent the best part of their lives in camps, for example Myanmar’s Karen minority have lived in camps for more than 20 years.
More than 70,000 refugees have crossed over to Ethiopia, fleeing fighting and massive devastation in South Sudan. Refugees are also escaping south to Uganda and Kenya and north to Sudan. The options for these refugees are limited and there are additional threats around sanitation, health and outbreaks of diseases.
How and why are people displaced or forced to flee? Simply put, displacement is an indication of a troubled spot. In 1975, UNHCR counted just over 3.6 million refugees, with the largest number from Ethiopia. By 1992, there were nearly 18 million refugees worldwide, with over 4 million of them from Afghanistan alone. By 2004, the total number had dipped to about 9 million, but by then refugees from Darfur had begun to flee Sudan.
These astounding figures reflect changing patterns of war. In general, levels of violence around the world are intensifying. Countries spend billions on militarizing themselves and end up discounting the welfare of their citizens. Due to this, people are forced into the reality of poverty and have to rely on outside help for basic necessities. A fact is that a major part of the Third World debt is due to military spending.
Human rights violations also cause a refugee exodus. It is usually the severe cases that produce large refugee movements when those in power protect their own interests and disregard human life. The number of refugees also rises due to failure of preventing or resolving a conflict. What we require urgently are permanent political solutions. Without this, the alarming levels of conflict and the mass suffering that is reflected in the above figures will continue.
The current crises and the sheer number of the needy make this one of the toughest times for the refugee agency since its inception more than 60 years ago. The UNHCR is inundated with registrations, and do what they can to provide emergency shelter, blankets, food and medicine.
Conflicts force ordinary people from their homes in desperate search for safety for their families. While some cross borders and become refugees, many are displaced internally. While many organisations are providing aid and assistance, the sheer number of this crisis has been straining the capacity of these humanitarian groups. Due to the absence of a solution, refugees are forced to continue living in extreme conditions and await help. Support is sought from affluent countries and they are expected to open their doors to accommodate the influx of people. At the moment, Pakistan is the biggest host country while Iran, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey accommodate huge numbers of refugees.
The bottom line is that the absorption of refugees in these numbers is bound to present problems. While the UNHCR helps achieve one of these solutions, the absence of longer-term solutions aggravates protection problems.
Note: All facts and figures are based on the annual report released by UNHCR 2014.
Jannat Mangat is Deputy Editor of the Indian Review of Global Affairs