Mr. President. the U.S. Committee for Refugees has just issued its annual world refugee survey. and once again it tells the story of millions of homeless men. women. and children in a desperate search for peace and relief around the world. There are now more refugees needing homes in new countries than since the worst days after World War II. There are few greater tests of the democratic and humanitarian ideals for which our Nation stands than how we respond to the needs of the worlds displaced people. And there is no more basic human rights issue than the protection of refugees. The U.S. committees report reminds us of this. and helps us understand what we are doing to help. what other countries are doing. and what more needs to be done. The report also reinforces a point sometimes forgotten by many Americansthat many countries have joined in the international effort to assist refugees. including some developing countries which can afford it the least. As the committees report documents. the United States can be proud of our generous support of international refugee programs. In total amount we are the largest contributor. However. in per capita terms. we are 12th in contributions and 5th in the ratio of refugees we have resettled compared to the size of our population. Israel. Malaysia. Australia and Canada have resettled more refugees than we have in terms of population size. Mr. President. I commend the U.S. Committee for Refugees for its important contribution to a better public understanding of the refugee problems we face around the world. As Joan Baez notes in her introduction to the committees report: The fact that millions of men. women and children are living day to day in crowded refugee camps is a human tragedy of enormous proportions. And it is a human rights tragedy as well. I share her sentiments. and I would like to share with my colleagues excerpts from the committees report and its statistical review of world refugee problems. I ask that they be printed at this point in the RECORD.
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Refugees refugee refugees