SHARJAH – By the end of 2018, more than 70.8 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes globally – indicating a staggering 26.8 million jump in less than a decade.
As we mark World Refugee Day 2020, we need to renew our efforts to continually improve our humanitarian programs and tools to support refugees, in addition to advancing cooperation amongst international humanitarian entities.
When it comes to the power of individual action to counteract the exacerbating global refugee crisis, the value of personal contributions to alleviating the sufferings of millions who have no homes, no work, no food, no education, and a bleak chance for a secure future – cannot be overstated. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)’s pick of this year’s slogan to mark World Refugee Day, ‘Every Action Counts’, drives the point home.
Photos of Refugees
The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF) is instituted on the belief Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of TBHF and Eminent Advocate for Refugee Children at UNHCR has not only invested in efforts of governments or humanitarian entities but in the power of ‘the individual’ to lead positive change. Humanitarian work must be an integral part of every community’s culture and must be supported and promoted through institutional policies and programs.
Let 2020 be a turning point in the way we approach the refugee crisis, and World Refugee Day be a reminder that our response to it must first begin with compassion, followed by the creation of targeted and diversified humanitarian initiatives, which will safeguard the basic rights of displaced communities and meet their needs sufficiently.
Mariam Al Hammadi, Director of The BigHeart Foundation
As the number of people fleeing their homes in recent years continues to grow, refugee assembly points are gradually turning into small makeshift towns within host countries. This means that humanitarian needs continue expanding too and require us to go beyond safeguarding their right to health, education, and safety to include their psychological wellbeing, especially the value-based development of children and youth.
Ask yourself: What kind of future do we want for them and for ourselves? The answer will hopefully deepen our perception of the rights of refugees and our responsibilities towards them and empower us to do our part in creating and aiding solutions, which will give millions a better chance at life.
At TBHF, we are committed to carrying out our humanitarian duties ensuring that every action counts.
