The experience of being uprooted and forced into exile, as a result of repression, war or natural disasters, is a defining feature of the history of humanity. Forced displacement has shaped the development of our major religions, and is part of our common heritage.
It remains one of the most visible and profound consequences of conflict and persecution. The scope of such displacement is enormous and shows no signs of abating. Armed conflict and human rights abuse forced almost 800,000 people to seek asylum in 2011. This year, fighting in northern Mali alone has resulted in the displacement of more than 200,000 people and the crisis in Syria has forced more than 65,000 to seek refuge elsewhere in the region.
While new conflicts emerge, old ones continue, often developing into increasingly complex situations. Afghanistan, Somalia and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo are just a few examples. Millions of people are trapped in spiralling cycles of violence, deprivation and displacement inside their countries, while those able to flee and seek asylum find themselves trapped in long-term exile.
In Pakistan, Kenya and eastern Sudan, for example, there are tens of thousands of Afghan, Somali and Eritrean refugee children whose grandparents were the last family members to see their home country. Just a decade ago, an average of one million refugees returned home each year with the help of UNHCR. This number has dropped by 80% as continued insecurity or lack of livelihoods discourage return.
Where peace processes have resulted in positive change, and allow large numbers of people to return home, lingering disputes can still trigger new displacement. This is the case along the border between Sudan and South Sudan, for which we are currently mounting emergency operations in South Sudan and Ethiopia.
Solutions other than returning home remain equally elusive. Developing countries, facing their own economic and social challenges, are reluctant to offer refugees the prospect of permanent residence rights and the possibility to rebuild their lives. Despite a growing number of industrialised countries which admit refugees through organised resettlement programmes, the number of places available each year accommodate less than 1% of the global refugee population.
Triggers for displacement
While persecution and armed conflict are central to forced displacement, other factors are at play which alter the dynamics of displacement and may profoundly affect our approaches. Triggers and patterns of displacement have become complex, with events in one state causing instability far beyond its borders. In the “Arab Spring” an individual act of resistance spawned a regional phenomenon of challenging governance structures. Migrant workers fleeing turmoil in Libya returned to Mali: unemployment in an area with a scarcity of resources but easy access to arms, and impoverishment, turn to conflict and political instability.
Increasingly, displacement is triggered or reinforced by factors such as natural disasters, desertification, population growth, rapid urbanisation, food insecurity, water scarcity, and violence related to organised crime. Climate change often exacerbates these other drivers of displacement. Moreover, it recognises no borders. With globalisation, economies, natural resources and security link our destinies as never before. Increasing challenges in accessing basic resources may turn to political grievances and strife. It is in our collective interest to address such challenges through prevention and mitigation strategies, and conflict resolution mechanisms that include displacement-affected communities.
Most of those displaced remain within their own countries, where the response from their governments may be limited. If they do cross a border, gaps in the legal framework may mean that they are not always able to benefit from the protection and assistance accorded to refugees. More efforts are needed to support states in preventing forced displacement, and in providing protection and appropriate solutions to affected populations.
Yet, I am encouraged that many states, especially in the developing world, continue to keep their borders open to refugees. More than 80% of refugees are hosted within their own region, often in countries struggling to meet the needs of their own citizens. We must provide these states with the means to shoulder this responsibility, including through the collective pursuit of solutions, a key aspect of which should be investment in sustainable development in affected areas.
I am also inspired by the fact that we continue to witness acts of extraordinary generosity by host populations directly affected by the arrival of refugees. Homes, food, land and health and education services are shared. I myself witnessed Liberians in Nimba County sharing, for consumption, with Ivorian refugees the rice seed intended for the next crop. While remarkable, such sacrifices should be rendered unnecessary by prompt and targeted support to host communities.
Solutions for refugees are linked to addressing the underlying causes of conflict. Where security is restored and refugees return, access to livelihoods, services and rule of law is essential. Here development cooperation, be it financial or technical, has an essential role to play — yet it continues to remain largely untapped. For example, UNHCR is working with development partners in host communities in eastern Sudan and Nepal to enhance livelihood opportunities and restore environmentally degraded areas. A tangible expression of international solidarity, such programmes augment social cohesion.
With the difficult global economic environment, it is easy to become preoccupied with immediate interests and lose sight of those values that we all share. It is therefore essential that the loss and suffering, as well as the formidable resilience, of refugees continue to capture our collective imagination and generate a sense of responsibility.
We must find innovative and sustainable ways to provide our support to those displaced and their hosts. It is not merely a question of common sense, but a manifestation of our common humanity.