ISLAMABAD: Forced displacement is now affecting more than one per cent of humanity - one in every 97 people - with fewer of those who flee being able to return home, according to the ‘Global Trends’ report of UNHCR.

Released ahead of ‘World Refugee Day’ being observed on Saturday, the report showed that an unprecedented 79.5 million were displaced as of the end of 2019. UNHCR has not seen a higher total, which was due to war, conflict, persecution, human rights violations and events seriously disturbing public order.

The report also notes diminishing prospects for refugees when it comes to hopes of any quick end to their plight. In the 1990s, on an average 1.5 million refugees were able to return home each year. Over the past decade that number has fallen to around 385,000, meaning that growth in displacement is today far outstripping solutions.

Says unprecedented 79.5m people were displaced by the end of 2019

The report shows that of the 79.5 million who were displaced at the end of last year, 45.7 million were people who had fled to other areas of their own countries. The rest were those displaced elsewhere, 4.2 million of them awaiting the outcome of asylum requests while 29.6 million were refugees and others forcibly displaced outside their country.

In Islamabad, UNHCR and the office of the chief commissioner for Afghan refugees, Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (Safron) organised a virtual event to express solidarity with those forced to flee their home and the communities that so generously host them.

The event was attended by UNHCR representative in Pakistan Noriko Yoshida, Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees Saleem Khan, other government officials and representatives from diplomatic missions, UN agencies, partners, civil society and refugees.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Yoshida said these mounting figures are increasingly worrying. “Behind every statistic are people and their personal journeys. Now, one in every 97 people in this world is displaced, representing more than 1pc of humanity,” she added.

Ms Yoshida also said forced displacement had doubled since 2010 as the figures stood at 41 million one decade ago.

“Another fact is that 85pc of refugees are in developing countries despite their own challenges,” she added.

She lauded people and the government of Pakistan for hosting refugees for over four decades. “Pakistan’s hospitality and generosity are exemplary,” she said.

She indicated that UNHCR is advocating for greater support for refugee-hosting countries.

The launch of the Support Platform for the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR) is one such example where UNHCR is helping to mobilise the international community to channel investments in Afghanistan and support for refugee-hosting countries like Pakistan and Iran. Chief Commissioner Saleem Khan expressed the government’s resolve to assist Afghan refugees, pending their voluntary repatriation to Afghanistan.

“We will not fail in caring for our Afghan brothers and sisters. Equally important will be development initiatives in the parts of Pakistan that are shouldering the burden as hosts,” he said.

Mr Khan called upon the international community to fund and support Pakistan.

“We expect the international community to deal with the Afghan refugee situation in the same fashion as they deal with other global emergencies,” he said. “Protracted situations shouldn’t be forgotten,” he added.

He underlined the need for investments to empower Afghan youth, noting that educated and empowered young people will play a positive role in Afghanistan upon their return.

Dr Habib Gul, an Afghan refugee who has defeated all odds by pursuing higher education, shed light on his journey. He is a former DAFI scholar and PhD holder in business administration.

Pakistan is the third largest refugee-hosting country in the world, after Turkey and Colombia. It hosts 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2020