Baku, June 20, AZERTAC
Ahead of World Refugee Day, celebrated annually on June 20, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday visited refugees from Iraq and Afghanistan who live, work and contribute to the vibrancy of the city of New York, USA.
“Like millions of refugees around the world, they are helping to bring new life, prosperity and rich diversity to their host communities. We must continue to support them,” the UN chief said on Twitter after the visit.
Mr. Guterres first traveled to Brooklyn, where he visited Suzan Al Shammari, an Iraqi refugee who fled Baghdad in 2010 with her family for Cairo, Egypt. They were registered with the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and were able to resettle in California. From there, they were able to travel to New York.
Ms. Al Shammari told the Secretary-General that because she grew up during the war, she wants to be able to help other refugees. With this in mind, she is currently working as a social worker with a non-governmental organization (NGO) having recently obtained a Masters degree from a university in the UK.
After hearing the testimonies, Mr. Guterres called on developed countries to do more and reminded them of their fundamental role in welcoming refugees and giving them the chance to start over in a safe and secure environment, away from the difficult situations that they face. they can find in camps.
The UN Secretary-General said that during his time as head of the UN refugee agency, there were twice as many resettlement opportunities available for those coming from refugee camps and other difficult situations in the world.
As such, he urged more states to open their borders to asylum seekers and help them find better living conditions.
Of all resettlement cases submitted by UNHCR to States in 2021, 86% involved survivors of torture or violence, people in need of legal and physical protection, and vulnerable women and girls. Slightly more than half of all files submitted concerned children.
According to the UN, the world reached the dramatic milestone of 100 million refugees in May, 10 weeks after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which not only displaced people fleeing war, but also triggered food insecurity world, as well as grain and fertilizer shortages. (UN)
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AZERTAG.AZ :UN Secretary-General meets refugees in New York
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