World Refugee Day this year is marked by an increase in the number of people forcibly displaced from their homes.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, at the end of 2021, the number of refugees around the world was 89.3 million. By mid-2022, that number was 103 million, and at the end of 2022, the number of refugees surged to 108.4 million.
In comparison, in 2011, the number was 38.54 million.
The most recent reason for the increase in numbers is largely due to the ongoing conflict in Sudan and Russia's war on Ukraine. Meanwhile, religious persecution, violence, natural disasters and human rights violations have also increased and led to more refugees fleeing their homes, The Christian Post reports.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is one of the organizations working to help refugees around the world.
The U.S. has a cap to resettle some 125,000 refugees, but last year, the U.S. only resettled 25,465 refugees, the ELCA said.
Adventist Development and Relief Agency International President Michael Kruger said the group observed World Refugee Sabbath last week.
"World Refugee Day serves as a reminder that we must all work together to end the difficulties and adversities that millions of refugees and host communities face," Kruger said.
Also, around the country, other organizations are finding ways to share information and stories about refugees.
In a video for World Relief, a global Evangelical humanitarian organization authorized by the State Department, a refugee named Milan tells the story of how he fled his home in Burma when he was 16.
He spent 15 years living in Malaysia, and just recently, he and his family were selected for resettlement in South Carolina.
"When I read my Bible about Joseph and Daniel, I see that they are really faithful to God, but they have trouble in their life," he said. "But they overcome their situation because God is almighty."
Photo courtesy: Pixabay
Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.
