Speech #1100178116

Madam President. I rise today to recognize June 20 as World Refugee Day. a day designated by the United Nations General Assembly to highlight and celebrate the contribution of refugees throughout the world. World Refugee Day has evolved into an annual commemoration marked by a variety of events in over a hundred countries. including in my home State of Pennsylvania. I am proud to note that. since the mid1970s. more than 100.000 refugees from more than 30 nations have made Pennsylvania their home. enriching the cultural diversity and strengthening the economy of the Commonwealth. Over time. most have succeeded in adjusting to life in Pennsylvania and the majority have naturalized as U.S. citizens and actively participate in local community life. This day gives us an important opportunity to pause and appreciate the grave humanitarian situation refugees face worldwide. Forced to flee their homes and having lost everything. these people have immediate needs including shelter. food. safety. and protection. But they also have basic human rightsthe right to seek asylum. the right not to be returned to a country where they fear persecution. the right to work. and the right to send their children safely to school. Between 2001 and 2005. the international community witnessed a decline in the number of refugees worldwide. Unfortunately. this trend has reversed. By the end of 2007. there was a 115 percent increase over just 2 years in the number of refugees under the responsibility of the United Nations High Commission for RefugeesUNHCR. We are now talking about a staggering 11.4 million refugees worldwide. The number of internally displaced people worldwide is also up. from 24.4 million to 26 million. Among refugees. Afghans and Iraqis account for nearly half of all refugees under UNHCRs care worldwide. Much of the increase in refugees in 2007 was a result of the volatile situation in Iraq. It has been 5 years since the fall of Baghdad. and Iraq and her neighbors are in the midst of a humanitarian crisis that threatens the stability of the Middle East. Wherever one stands on the future of the U.S. combat presence in Iraq. we have a moral responsibility to those innocent Iraqis who have been driven from their homes and fear for their lives and their childrens lives every day.