Speech #1140102202

The outbreak of violence in Burundi forced over 200.000 people to flee their country last year. In Libya. smuggling and trafficking networks thrive as the country has become a major transit route for subSaharan Africans seeking safety and security in Europe. Most of these refugees are fleeing Boko Haram in Nigeria. and decades of armed conflict and alShabaab in Somalia and Eritrea. where the government carries out extrajudicial killings. torture. and other serious human rights violations. In the Lake Chad Basin region. more than 2.4 million people1.5 million of them childrenhave fled their homes due to violence and attacks by the terrorist group Boko Haram. The conflict has forced more than 200.000 Nigerians to flee to Cameroon. Chad. and Niger following attacks on their villages. While violence persists in Somalia. I am deeply concerned about the recent announcement by the government of Kenya that it would seek to close Dadaab. the largest refugee camp in the world and home to almost 400.000 Somali refugees. Shutting down the camp will mean increased protection risks for the thousands of refugees. the majority of who are women. children and unaccompanied minors. Moreover. Somalia is faced with a severe drought and other security risks which will increase the vulnerability of its displaced people. The international community must get serious about protecting the most vulnerable refugeeswomen and children. Women are facing ferocious threats in conflicts across the globe where rape and sexual assault are being used as weapons of war. and as vulnerable refugees they continue to be targets of genderbased violence. Children now make up onehalf of all refugees worldwide. We must do more to protect them from sexual exploitation and abuse. from recruitment as child soldiers. and from being forced into early marriage. Organizations such as the United Nations Population Fund. UNFPA. Mercy Corps. Catholic Relief Services. and others know how to provide targeted support and protection to women and children refugees. But we in the international community must fund them adequately to help them do the job. The United States has lead in terms of humanitarian assistance. but we must encourage other nations to do more. Against this tragic backdrop. we have all listened recently to divisive political rhetoric and hate speech on refugee and migration issues which is feeding rising levels of xenophobia. Instead of burdensharing. we see borders closing. instead of political will. there is political paralysis. Humanitarian organizations and their field staff. overstretched and exhausted. are left to deal with consequences while. at the same time. they are trying to save lives on shrinking budgets. As the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has noted. "Yet. there is cause for hope. In contrast to the toxic narrative repeatedly played out in the media we have often witnessed an outpouring of generosity. by host communities. by individuals. and by families opening their homes. These ordinary people see refugees not as beggars. competitors for jobs. or terroristsbut as people like you or me whose lives have been disrupted by war." In closing. we must recognize that as these conflicts proliferate. no corner of the world will be left unaffected. Today. on World Refugee Day. we recognize that every person fleeing his or her home deserves compassion and help. displaced people should be able to live their lives in safety and dignity. We must recommit ourselves to work smarter and harder to assist the worlds most vulnerable people. Next year. on this day.