Morocco World News
New York, June 1, 2012
According to a report released on Thursday, 31 May by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the number of displaced people around the world will rise dramatically over the next ten years due to several factors, such as conflicts, natural disasters and climate change.
The High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, said that the world produces more displaced people than it offers solutions to the problem.
“The world is creating displacement faster than it is producing solutions, and this means one thing only: More people trapped in exile over many years, unable to return home, to settle locally, or to move elsewhere.”. He added that “Global displacement is an inherently international problem, and as such needs international solutions – and by this I mainly mean political solutions.”
The report pointed to the existence of 43 million people in the world, who were forced to flee their homes because of several factors, including conflicts and climate change, population growth and urban migration, food insecurity, water scarcity and competition for resources.
According to the same report, more people are forced to flee every year due to natural disasters than conflict. The study warns of the existence of a gap in international protection when it comes to protecting people fleeing from the impact of climate change and natural disasters, since those displaced because of natural are not considered refugees under international law.
The report examined the threats faced by humanitarian workers and the need to strengthen international cooperation. It stressed that development policies and resettlement of refugees can help in integrating them at the local level, but that the political will with a shift in thinking by the developed countries need to happen.
