Record-high displaced figures are "wake-up call" for world leaders
World Vision UK is today calling for increased support for child refugees, as new figures show that over 29 million children around the world have been forced to flee their homes.
According to latest figures by UNHCR, wars in Syria, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan have contributed to the rise. The UN agency estimates that a record-breaking 59.5 million people around the world have been displaced - a figure almost equivalent to the UK population. Half of those are children.
Tim Pilkington, World Vision UK Chief Executive, said: “Imagine half of the United Kingdom being forced to flee their homes – except they are all children. This is a sobering thought and a wake-up call for world leaders and the international community to step up their efforts to solve political crises and to offer more support to refugee children.
“Earlier this year, I met refugees in camps near the Syrian border and heard harrowing stories from children who endured experiences that no child ever should. While many have fled to safety, and we can offer some kind of normality, there are millions more who haven’t made it – and who urgently need assistance.
“We know that children are least to blame in any conflict - yet, tragically, they’re the ones who suffer the most,” added Pilkington.
Calls by World Vision UK for increased support follow worrying reports that the tolerance towards Syria and other Middle Eastern countries have decreased. According to the latest survey by Islamic Relief, 47% of the people interviewed did not believe we should offer refuge to those fleeing conflict in the Middle East.
Johan Eldebo, World Vision UK Senior Humanitarian Policy adviser said: “The world is becoming more hostile towards refugees. No one chooses to become a refugee; you become one when you have no other option and have to flee for your life. These crises may now have lasted so long that we become used to them, but I have yet to meet a family that feels at home in a tent of ten in a refugee camp.”
Many refugee children travel alone. Alone in the harshest terrain, in huge, anonymous refugee camps, among desperate people fighting over meagre resources, with no one to hold them close when they are afraid, or defend them with they are at risk.
Ahead of World Refugee day, World Vision calls upon the international community to prioritise these children refugees, in particular, their survival, development and protection. World Vision believes that children have the right to special care and attention, particularly when they are separated from their families. They are entitled to protection, including access to healthcare and education, regardless of their country of origin, and in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Notes to editors:
Case studies available: Five child refugees across the globe who fled from Syria, South Sudan, Somalia, Burundi & DRC
For more information or interview opportunities, please contact Brenda Yu +44 7786 333784