Azerbaijan, Baku, 20 June / Trend, M. Aliyev /
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has made a statement for World Refugee Day, the office of the UN Department of Public Information in Azerbaijan reported on Thursday.
The statement notes that the number of displaced persons in the world continues to grow.
"To date, there are 45 million refugees and internally displaced persons - the highest number in almost 20 years. Just last year, someone was forced to leave his native home every four seconds," the statement says.
This is still mainly because of wars, and one of the most visible examples in this respect is the mass movement of people in times of crisis in Syria, the UN Secretary General stresses.
"More than half of all refugees in a new report by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees come from just five war-affected countries: Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Syria and Sudan. New major displacements have also been occurring in Mali and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Figures give only a glimpse into this enormous human tragedy. Every day, conflict tears apart the lives of thousands of families. They may be forced to leave loved ones behind or become separated in the chaos of war. Children suffer the most. Nearly half of all refugees are below age 18, and a growing number are fleeing on their own," the message says.
Forced displacement also has a significant economic, social and, at times, political impact on the communities that provide shelter, Ban Ki-moon said.
"The burden associated with the placement of refugees has become more and more unequal: the overwhelming majority of people forced to leave their homeland are hosted by the poor countries. Ten years ago, 70 percent of the world's refugees were in developing countries, but today they host 81 percent. To find long-term solutions for displaced persons, the international community needs to act for greater solidarity and shared responsibility. Today, as we mark World Refugee Day, I call upon the international community to intensify its efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts, and to promote the establishment of peace and security in order to be able to allow family reunions and the return of refugees to their homeland," Ban Ki-moon said.