VOA News: UN refugee agency reports half of the world's 10.5 million refugees and nearly 20 million of internally displaced people and returnees are living in cities
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres, left, next to Jose Riera, right, HCR Secretary, opens a two-day United Nations conference trying to boost support for Iraqis who have fled violence in their country
Mayors from some 20 cities around the world are attending a two-day meeting hosted by the United Nations refugee agency to address the problems faced by millions of refugees, internally displaced people and returnees who are living in cities and towns around the world. Representatives of national governments and international organizations are seeking ways to help the urban refugees and to ease the growing strains on the cities. The U.N. refugee agency reports half of the world's 10.5 million refugees are living in cities and towns. They are joined by nearly twice that number of internally displaced people and returnees.
It says the perception that most refugees live in sprawling tented camps is no longer true. It says the growing phenomenon of urban refugees poses many new problems and challenges for both the refugees and the cities that host them.
UNHCR Senior Policy Advisor Jose Riera tells VOA this is why the agency is reaching out for the first time to mayors.
Posts
