“All around there were explosions over our heads. We fled in only our clothes.” Abdelrahman, 15-year-old displaced Syrian

 

In a world where nearly 1 person is forcibly displaced every two seconds as a result of conflict or persecution, responding to mass displacement becomes a universal shared responsibility.

 

An unprecedented 68.5 million people around the world have been forced from home. Among them are nearly 25.4 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18, and 3.1 million Asylum Seekers.

 

There are also an estimated 10 million stateless people who have been denied a nationality and access to basic rights such as education, healthcare, employment and freedom of movement.

 

As mass displacement across the world continues to grow, it is usually low- and middle-income countries that shoulder much of the responsibility for refugees. Meanwhile, the world’s response to large-scale movements remains inadequate and underfunded leaving refugees with an uncertain future.

 

85% of the world’s displaced people are hosted in developing countries. While 57% of the refugees worldwide came from three countries: Syria 6.3 million, Afghanistan 2.6 million and South Sudan 2.4 million, the top refugee-hosting countries are Turkey 3.5 million, Uganda 1.5 million, Pakistan 1.5 million, Lebanon 1 million and Iran 979,400.

 

“My father was shot, and my uncle, my cousin and my neighbour, and our house is destroyed. I am scared to go back because war means shooting.” Abdulhay, 8-years-old Syrian refugee in Lebanon.