World Refugee Day

40 million. That's the new figure, just released by the UN refugee agency UNHCR, of refugees fleeing persecution worldwide. Persecuted for who they are, what they believe in, or what they look like. Ever since becoming a Volunteer Support Worker for Refugee Services Aotearoa in 2008, this topic has been close to my heart. It even led me to my current location at Pipeline IDP Camp in Nakuru. Just like refugees, Internally Displaced People (IDPs) are forced to flee their homes, but unlike refugees, they remain within their country's boundaries. In my opinion IDPs face the same challenges as refugees - yes, IDPs might still be in their own nation, but often they have been completely abandoned or forgotten by their country's government and by local ngo's. In the case of Pipeline IDP Camp where I am now, even the local community is failing to offer support to the displaced people in their midst. UNHCR has traditionally argued that it does not have a" general competence for IDPs" but today, on World Refugee Day, I propose that they adopt an annual World IDP Day to acknowledge the existence of this group of nearly 25 million people. You can always dream, right?