World Refugee Day is observed on June 20 every year to draw attention to the plight of refugees and mobilize political will and resources to urgently help these people rebuild their lives.  It was first observed in 2001, on the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention.

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United Nations states some eye-opening facts. Every minute 20 people leave everything behind to escape war, persecution or terror. Millions have been displaced from their homes worldwide in the last few years. These people face economic, armed conflicts, ethnic and religious persecution. UNICEF in 2018 said that at least 30 million children were displaced by conflict worldwide since the Second World War. The UNHCR says that 82.4 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide in 2020 due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations. Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) data suggests that 48 million people were internally displaced.

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From the pictures of a three-year-old Kurdish child lying dead on the beach to the state of Rohingya refugees, the world has been reminded time and again of the way basic human rights are violated every minute.

UNHCR stated that two-thirds of all refugees came from five countries as of 2020. These countries were Syria (6.7 million), Venezuela (4.0 million), Afghanistan (2.6 million), South Sudan (2.2 million), Myanmar (1.1 million).

However, the much these figures can get intimidating, one can always pitch in and help improve the lives of these refugees. Here are five ways you can help refugees:

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Host refugees and asylum seekers: Offer your home, a spare room, to a refugee seeking asylum. A Refugees Welcome initiative in Germany advocated offering a spare room and now it is working in 20 countries, Ted.com reveals. 

Volunteer: Know how to play football? Can teach English? Put your skills into work for refugees, especially children, who don’t have access to basic education or lifestyle.  

Employ: In 2017, Starbucks pledged to hire 10,000 refugees globally. Refugees are not mere guests on vacation. They need to earn and have a shot at a decent lifestyle. Offer opportunities to such refugees.

Advocate: Ask your college to offer scholarships to refugee students. Try transforming some policies. Advocacy is important to make people realize that a refugee is also a human being and has the same basic rights as anyone in any country should have. 

Protection: Offer help to refugees. Help may be in the form of food, shelter, sanitation, water and medical supplies.