This week, the world's eyes have turned to the Syria-Turkey border, where more than 7,000 Syrian refugees have fled the Assad regime's crackdown and are now living in camps hastily assembled by the Turkish government. While the growing Syrian refugee crisis is undoubtedly grave and the media attention it has garnered is welcome, this situation joins a long list of unresolved refugee crises around the world, some of which have been festering for years.
There are at least 15.2 million refugees in the world today, according to the NGO Refugees International. While this number is lower than it has been in the past, the group warns that this is simply a reflection of the changing nature of the global refugee crisis. "The old paradigm of refugees in camps with agencies providing services in a self-contained environment is no longer the reality," says Andrea Lari, Refugees International's director of regional programs. Much more common today are internally displaced persons (IDPs) -- refugees living in their own countries who must rely on their governments, rather than international organizations, for aid. There are more than 27.1 million IDPs in the world today.
Here's a look at 10 of the world's most serious ongoing refugee crises:
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TAIMUR MALIK
12:21 AM ET
June 16, 2011
No mention of..
..the staggering number of millions of Pakistani IDPs in the country as a result of operations in South Waziristan and the floods last year. What a pity Joshua.
Also, the overwhelming majority of Afghan refuges that came to Pakistan were during the Soviet occupation, and that's an established fact.
RASCZAK
10:08 PM ET
June 16, 2011
What a life
Struggle between their hatred,the tears only companion all the time within it
Simple Blog
MADS
8:43 AM ET
June 17, 2011
Western Sahara
I am surprised that Western Sahara is not on this list...A refugee crisis since 1973, and the tents are still in the desert today...
LIAMREGLER
6:54 PM ET
July 13, 2011
New Jersey raising funds
Just passing on the good news.
So far, monetary contributions has been limited because U.S. sanctions prevent Americans from sending money to the people or organizations inside Syria. Tinawi said he believes the U.S. should reconsider that policy and permit money into Syria that will help people experiencing unemployment and shortages of water and food due to the present crisis that can be helped by using photovoltaic solar panels to supply electricity and power water pumps.
Local activists will also be preparing for any July 23 protest in Washington, D.C., and intend to send four buses from North Jersey towards the capital, where they'll demand the U.S. to consider a stronger stance from the Syrian regime.
The U.S. administration has required reform, but hasn't required Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down from capacity to the dismay of numerous activists. Rights groups state that a lot more than 1,300 civilians happen to be killed and thousands more arrested because the protests began in March.
CANDIE SODEMAN
3:08 PM ET
July 15, 2011
Welcome to Tent City
Syria's refugees join millions of others already in limbo. ..the staggering number of millions of Pakistani IDPs in the country as a result of operations in South Waziristan and the floods last year. What a pity Joshua. Also, the overwhelming majority of Afghan refuges that came to Pakistan were during the Soviet occupation, and that's an established fact. home education Just passing on the good news. So far, monetary contributions has been limited because U.S. sanctions prevent Americans from sending money to the people or organizations inside Syria. Tinawi said he believes the U.S. should reconsider that policy and permit money into Syria that will help people experiencing unemployment and shortages of water and food due to the present crisis that can be helped.