Millions of people around the world are displaced from their homes. They flee war, violence, persecution or poverty. They may be seeking a better life or trying to escape conflict, but they all face significant challenges in their attempts to rebuild their lives.
Providing basic needs and ensuring the protection of human rights is difficult enough in places where communities are already strained by conflict, instability and poverty. Often, these situations become protracted. Refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) spend years, sometimes decades in exile. The length of displacement can also affect their legal status and their access to aid and services.
The longer refugee displacements continue, the harder it becomes to resolve the root causes of them. This is why it is crucial that efforts are made to address the root causes of displacement, such as through improved regional governance and security. It is also why efforts must be redirected from the false idea that the solution to refugee crises lies in enhanced border controls and calls for more deportations of refugees back to their country of origin.
The only way to stop the escalation of these situations is to put displaced people at the heart of global responses. World leaders must also put saving lives at the forefront of their actions, from rescuing people at risk in the dangerous seas to standing up against harmful government policies that shut out vulnerable displaced people. World Vision has a role to play at every stage of the crisis, from responding when disaster strikes to promoting safe and dignified living conditions for those who are forced to move.
About the Author
