According to the data provided by United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC), 2020 marked the most tragic year for refugees in statistical terms. The world is afflicted with conflict, violence and human rights violations, which compel people to leave their homes and home countries, and search for places that offer them nothing but peace.
The number of refugees reached 82.4 million in 2020, despite the fact that this was also a year in which borders were virtually closed due to Covid-19 pandemic. The statistics reflect that 1 in every 95 persons is a refugee.
This figure, 82.4 million, is not just a number. These 82.4 million people are a responsibility of the globe. These people are the unfulfilled promises of humanity. Being a part of an environment where one is compelled to leave their home, is a question mark, not just for those who are in authoritative positions, but for everyone who has the privilege to sleep soundly in their comfort zone.
More than that, Covid-19, treated these people as badly as other people treated them. These marginalised people were further cornered and had to suffer twice, firstly for being displaced, secondly for being more vulnerable to the lethal disease and less protected simultaneously.
Already living in abysmal conditions, these refugees had to face the brunt owing to the corona driven high unemployment rate, hunger and poverty. The refugee children who were previously somehow able to attend schools, were forced to leave their education behind and carry the burden of child labor. Many girls were pressurised into child marriage.
Last year, was unpredictable for everyone, but for some it was too shaky. Almost 160 countries had closed their borders, which means 160 destinations for these people without homes were naturally banned. Those still offering refuge, had conditions attached. For instance Uganda ensured medical screening and quarantines before allowing refugees to settle.
Refugees from Yemen, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Afghanistan, Syria, Burkina Faso and Mali never stopped pouring in. But even in these difficult times, some refugees did not give up, and instead kept themselves engaged in lifting others up. Many of them performed duties of nurses and doctors in their camps. One of the Ugandan refugee managed to take online yoga classes for other refugees and aid workers.
The world is already suffering from multifaceted issues. Every number that is counted as a refugee is a story of a broken human. And the world is saturated with such stories to such an extent that they should be stopped now.
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