On 4 December 2000, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in Resolution 55/76 decided that, from 2000, June 20, would be celebrated as World Refugee Day.
In this resolution, the General Assembly noted that 2001 marked the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. It is commemorated to honour all refugees, raise awareness, and solicit support.
A refugee is someone who fled his or her home and country owing to a “well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion”, according to the United Nations 1951 Refugee Convention. Many refugees are in exile to escape the effects of natural or human-made disasters.
Every minute 20 people leave everything behind to escape war, persecution or terror, UN reports.
2022 World Refugee Day theme is Whoever. Wherever. Whenever. Everyone has the right to seek safety.
Tr by UN
Photography courtesy of unhcr.org
