UN: Every 3 seconds a person is displaced by conflicts from his homeland. The number of refugees in the world due to conflicts increased to 65.6 million in 2016.
ELIX is participating to the actions for the World Refugee Day, today.
Since 2001, World Refugee Day has been established by a decision of the UN General Assembly on 4/12/2000 and is honored every year on June 20, with the participation of humanitarian organizations, citizens and refugees themselves. The purpose of these events, implemented in our country by the Office of the High Commission of Greece, is to highlight the drama that millions of uprooted humans live in, the work it does for them all over the world, and the help they need.
This day is also celebrated to eradicate all the terrorist violence that forced some of our fellow humans to be expelled from their home. Tens of thousands of people around the world devote little of their time to recognize and honor the contribution of all those uprooted by violence from their homes, refugees.
Under international law, refugees are called people who cannot or do not want to return in their countries, because of a legitimate fear of persecution, based on their race, religion, political beliefs, their nationality or their participation in a social group.
It is a commonplace that war, violence and persecution around the world force more people than ever to be displaced from their homes. According to the most recent report of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, in 2016 there were 65.6 million people displaced worldwide, nearly 300,000 more from the previous year. Of these, 22.5 million are refugees, 40.3 million internally displaced (Syria, Iraq) and 2.8 million asylum seekers.
For the annual celebration of World Refugee Day, events will take place in all the ELIX training centers, while there will be a representation at the events night at Kotzia Square, organized by the Hellenic Refugee Forum, Amnesty International - Greek Section and SEM and at Thessaloniki City Hall organised by UNHCR.
