On June 20, the world honors those whose lives have been upended with World Refugee Day. It was held for the first time in 2001, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1951 United Nations’ (U.N.) Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. Originally known as Africa Refugee Day, the United Nations General Assembly officially designated it as an international day in December 2000.
It’s seen as a way for everyone to experience, understand and celebrate the rich diversity of the communities of refugees. Various cities hold events that include music, food and storytelling.
Every minute, 20 people leave everything behind to escape war, persecution or terror, as stated by the U.N. According to published reports, in February 2024, the greatest number of refugees admitted by the U.S. came from Congo, Syria and Afghanistan. However, in Florida, the largest number of refugees came from Venezuela during that same month.
The USA for UNHCR, the U.N. Refugee Agency, estimates that “at the end of 2022, more than 100 million people were forcibly displaced globally — a record number propelled by the war in Ukraine and other conflicts around the world.”
Many cities in the U.S. and around the world hold celebrations to showcase the contributions that refugees make and the struggles they endure.