United Nations
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has reminded the international community of its duty to help refugees rebuild their lives after a particularly difficult year for so many.
In a message marking World Refugee Day, he appealed for greater empathy for all those who’ve had to flee conflict, climate shocks, and harassment, through no fault of their own, saying that the pandemic had wiped out refugees’ livelihoods, and led to stigmatization and vilification.
Refugees had also been exposed disproportionately to the virus, the UN chief insisted, adding that once again, they had demonstrated their invaluable contribution to their host communities as essential and frontline workers.
We have a duty to help refugees rebuild their lives”, he said. “COVID-19 has shown us that we can only succeed if we stand together.”
Guterres, who spent ten years as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.—APP
