The figures are staggering: a record 65.6 million people last year forced from their homes by violence and persecution: 12 million Syrians, 7.7 million Colombians, 4.7 million Afghans and 4.2 million Iraqis, says a UN Report released yesterday.
Behind the statistics, there is a human person and a human story and today, World Refugee Day, we “reflect on the courage of those who fled and the compassion of those who welcome them,” said the UN Secretary-General.
One thought provoking statistic is that one in every three refugees is welcomed in one of the least developed countries. These countries give not from their abundance of goods but from the abundance of their compassion. Can we say that the governments of the countries in which we live – Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad, the United States – measure up?
What are we, what are you, doing about it?
