The number of people forced to abandon their homes has reached an all-time high. By the end of June 2023, an alarming 110 million people worldwide had been displaced by persecution, war, human rights violations, and severe disruptions to public order. In a similar vein, the global refugee population rose to 36.4 million by mid-2023, up three-percent increase (+1.1 million) from the end of 2022. Yet this figure hides an even more bitter reality, as it predates Israel\u2019s attack on the Gaza Strip\u2014the latest, and potentially the most precarious, escalation in an already volatile global landscape that threatens us all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Seventy-five years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which, in its very first article, sets out that \u201call human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.\u201d Nevertheless, violations of human rights, international humanitarian law, refugee law, and other international legal norms are on the rise around the world. Disregard for the basic rules of war\u2014for international humanitarian law\u2014is quickly becoming the norm rather than the exception. The consequences of this grim reality have been devastation, displacement, and anguish for the millions forced from their homes. While each new crisis seems to eclipse the last, pushing it into dangerous obscurity, the scars of each one remain ever present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since 2014, T\u00fcrkiye has hosted the world\u2019s largest refugee population, with over 3.5 million refugees and asylum-seekers benefiting from a robust legislative framework, more than 3.2 million of whom are Syrians under temporary protection. Whereas two percent or so of this population resides in Temporary Accommodation Centers, the vast majority is integrated in T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s eighty-one<\/em> provinces, living alongside host communities in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas. T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s legal framework is complemented by a policy of inclusion and harmonization, ensuring that refugees and asylum-seekers have access to public services at the national, provincial, and local levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s inclusive humanitarian policy for people in need of international protection has, for more than twelve years, shaped the country\u2019s immediate response to crises. This policy was evident in the country\u2019s swift reaction to the devastating February earthquakes that affected fifteen million people across eleven provinces. Among those impacted were 1.74 million refugees living side by side with Turkish citizens in the same buildings that collapsed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since day one of the emergency, UNHCR has supported T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s emergency response as part of a broader inter-agency effort<\/em>. At the request of the Turkish government, UNHCR delivered nearly three million core relief items\u2014tents, mattresses, and kitchen sets\u2014to authorities for distribution among affected communities, including refugees and local host populations. These supplies have helped improve living conditions and support early recovery. We likewise provided targeted assistance to individuals with specific needs, helping them access essential services like documentation and social protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That said, however, earthquakes\u2019 residual effects continue to pose significant challenges, particularly for vulnerable groups who are often the hardest hit and slowest to recover. The latest inter-agency protection needs assessment from August 2023 highlights the widespread impact on both refugees and host communities. Over eighty percent reported a worsening financial situation, while ninety percent indicated that they were unable to cover all of their monthly expenses and basic needs. These findings suggest that without reliable livelihood opportunities, coupled with multi-purpose cash assistance and comprehensive social assistance in the interim, many households are likely to face a food crisis. As reducing food expenditure and intake are already among the top three survival strategies adopted across households struggling to meet end\u2019s meat, many individuals may face health problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sustained support for T\u00fcrkiye is vital. This support includes meeting the immediate humanitarian needs of those affected by the earthquake and playing an active role in recovery, reconstruction, and development efforts to help rebuild lives. In the face of this extraordinary disaster, UNHCR calls upon the international community to show the people of T\u00fcrkiye the same generosity they have extended in hosting millions of refugees\u2014an extraordinary act of solidarity in line with the Global Compact on Refugees. The second Global Refugee Forum, set to take place in Geneva in December 2023, provides an opportunity for nations to announce concrete pledges, evaluate progress, share insights, tackle future challenges, and explore ways to strengthen burden and responsibility sharing in line with the Compact\u2019s objectives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The number of people forced to abandon their homes has reached an all-time high. By the end of June 2023, an alarming 110 million people worldwide had been displaced by persecution, war, human rights violations, and severe disruptions to public order. In a similar vein, the global refugee population rose to 36.4 million by mid-2023,…<\/p>\n