JUNE 20 IS WORLD REFUGEE DAY: 44 MILLION PEOPLE ARE NOW DISPLACED WORLDWIDE
Artak Barseghyan
“Radiolur”
20.06.2011 19:00
The UN General Assembly, on 4 December 2000, adopted resolution
55/76 where it noted that 2001 marked the 50th anniversary of the
1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, and that the
Organization of African Unity (OAU) had agreed to have International
Refugee Day coincide with Africa Refugee Day on 20 June.
The General Assembly therefore decided that, from 2001, 20 June would
be celebrated as World Refugee Day.
This year the UN refugee agency, in its 60th year marks World Refugee
Day with a rich and varied programme of events in locations worldwide
and the launch of a new global awareness campaign.
UNHCR has started rolling out the multimedia “One” campaign. Over
the next six months it will increase awareness about the forcibly
displaced and stateless by telling their powerful personal stories.
The campaign carries the message that “One Refugee without Hope is too
Many.” Every day, millions of refugees face murder, rape and terror.
We believe even 1 is too many.”
“44 million people are now displaced worldwide, 37 million were
displaced by conflict,” Representative of the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees Damtew Dessalegne told a press conference in Yerevan today.
According to Mr. Dessalegne, about 10 million refugees are under
UNHCR’s care. UNHCR implemented programs worth $32 mln in Armenia
between 1994 and 2010. According to him, today it continues supporting
the most vulnerable layers.
82 884 people have been granted citizenship of the Republic of
Armenia since 1996. Today there are about 3 thousand people with
refugee status in Armenia, who mostly fled from Azerbaijan 20 years
ago. Mr. Dessalegne hopes they will also apply for RA citizenship
in the near future.
From: A. Papazian