Nyakar abandoned her home in South Sudan when armed conflict threatened her village. She found safety in the Bentiu civilian protection camp. The camp is a United Nations-run camp for internally displaced South Sudanese people, and the World Relief Organization runs health and nutrition programs. Shortly after her arrival, Ms. Nyakar gave birth to her son, Vaughn.
A record 110 million people have been forced to flee their homes in the world today. This equates to 1 in 74 people living worldwide.
When we hear the term “mass displacement,” many of us think of refugees, but the majority of displaced people around the world are actually internally displaced people, like Bourne and his mother.
The causes of mass migration are many and the effects are far-reaching. Today, we understand what causes people to leave their homes, who is displaced, and how people around the world are participating in global relief to address the drivers of mass displacement and care. To help you understand, we’ll take a bird’s eye view of the topic of mass evacuation. For those who are evacuated.
*These numbers are Latest quote From the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. This blog was written on May 10, 2022 and updated on April 30, 2024.
What causes mass displacement?
People are forced to flee their homes for a variety of reasons, including persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations, and climate-related factors, to name a few.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the most recent example of how war can displace millions of people from their homes. However, there are many other conflicts and crises occurring in the world that force people to flee their homes.
For example, violence in Sudan’s Darfur region has caused many people to flee in search of a safe place to live, farm and raise their children. Some of these families remain internally displaced, while others have fled across the border to Chad and other neighboring countries.
Overall, 52% of the world’s refugees come from three countries: Syria, Ukraine, and Afghanistan. Although such crises receive varying levels of media attention, the needs of displaced populations remain critical.
Refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons
Displaced people often seek refuge in regions or countries around their home countries, but a minority migrate to more distant countries. Displaced people fall into several categories.
- internally displaced persons
- refugees
- asylum seeker
internally displaced persons It occupies the largest category. They are internally displaced people. They are forced to flee their homelands and regions and are resettled in other parts of the same country where they already lived. the current, 62.5 million people They are classified as internally displaced persons.
refugees They make up the next largest group of displaced persons. These are people who have been granted legal residence status in a country other than their home country. Perhaps you have read the stories of refugees like Bohdan, Abdinasir, and Amira. These are people who left their home countries due to conflict or persecution, applied for refugee status, and resettled here in the United States.
Today, about 36 million people worldwide are recognized as refugees.
In 2022, the United States has agreed to resettle up to 125,000 refugees, plus an additional 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing Russian aggression. Clearly, there are far more refugees in the world than even a country as large and resource-rich as the United States can resettle.
asylum seeker They make up the third smallest category of displaced persons. These are people who have fled to other countries but have not yet received formal refugee status. These women, men, and children may have to wait years before receiving formal status.
Currently, approx. 5.4 million asylum seekers Today, people live all over the world.
host community
One final group affected has yet to be identified. These are the host communities.
While host communities have not been forced to flee their homes, the rapid influx of refugees into communities has had a severe impact on those already living in the area. Host community members often require the same support that refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons typically receive.
Large numbers of refugees mean reduced access to land and water, which can lead to resource scarcity. In Sudan, for example, conflicts have erupted over land use as host communities and displaced people seek to exploit scarce land and water resources available in host community areas.
Within these communities, World Relief increases access to clean water and supports peace committees to resolve interpersonal conflicts before they escalate.
What else does World Relief support?
For 80 years, World Relief has been at the forefront of aid and services for refugees around the world. Today, we boldly continue that tradition by working with the global church. Those who are forced to evacuate can return to their hometowns or be resettled in a new location. However, for many people, returning home is not a realistic option, as displacement often lasts for generations. World Relief currently serves displaced people around the world in a variety of ways.
- World Relief is working with the Democratic Republic of the Congo as it faces the world’s worst hunger crisis and renewed conflict in North Kivu province. Host communities and returned refugees We provide agricultural training and supplies to help families grow and sell crops to feed their families and combat food insecurity.
- World relief on a global scale serve refugees These are people who cross borders into our target countries and work with local partners to provide emergency aid to families living in temporary shelters.
- In the United States, World Relief has partnered with the U.S. government to resettled refugees.We also provide services Asylum seekers and other immigrants By providing critical services such as community connections, legal services, ESL classes, job training, and trauma-informed mental health resources.
- Global relief operations are underway in Sudan, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo Internally displaced persons and host communities By setting up peace committees in local villages to provide health, nutrition, WASH, education, agricultural programs, etc.
- World Relief stands up for vulnerable people when injustice occurs. We believe that speaking out with the poor and oppressed provides an important witness to the world’s attention to the character of Jesus.
Mass displacement remains one of the biggest and most difficult crises of our time, and addressing this fact requires intentional coordination and investment between local and international communities, churches, governments, and nonprofit organizations. Masu.
At World Relief, we believe that Jesus came to earth to love the vulnerable. Jesus did not bring hope and salvation from afar. Instead, he came to us, showed us his love, and suffered with us. Whether we welcome refugees and asylum seekers into our communities or provide relief to people displaced overseas, we become the hands and feet of Jesus, sharing His love with a world in need.
By donating to World Relief, you can help refugee families rebuild their lives in the United States, quickly respond to the latest displacement crisis, and address the root causes of mass displacement around the world, including poverty and climate disasters. It will be.
Together, we can respond to global crises with comprehensive, innovative solutions that help families thrive and communities thrive.
jessica galvan I am a content writer for World Relief. She is passionate about telling stories and amplifying diverse voices to reveal the beauty of God’s creation. She is also the Editorial Director of Chasing Justice, and before joining World Relief, she worked for various clients in the publishing industry, most recently Penguin. She was a freelance writer and editor for Random Her House. Ta. When she is not forging her word in the pursuit of faith and justice, she is spending time with her husband and their three children in the Houston, Texas area.