The UNHCR (High Commission for Refugees) has reported that the number of people forced to flee their homes, either internally or across borders has reached the staggering total of 60 million. Conflicts in Africa have led to people crossing into neighbouring states; the Ukraine divisions have meant nearly 100,000 people fleeing into Russia and over 500,000 moving from their homes to other parts of the country. In Yemen nearly 950,000 have left their homes to seek refuge in safer areas. The terrible civil war in Syria has meant 4.5 million people have moved to areas more sympathetic to their plight, either internally, to camps in neighbouring Jordan and Lebanon, or across Europe to the west.
One person in 122 of the world's population is a "displaced person" and, of course, there are the millions of so-called economic migrants. It's difficult to imagine how these matters can be dealt with in a way that will end suffering on this scale - a wall between Mexico and the US doesn't seem to be the answer!
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