UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR, Kelly Clements and Director of the Centre for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, Ghassan Elkahlout during an event, yesterday. PIC: Amr Diab
Doha, Qatar: The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region cannot afford more wars and unrest due to an exploding refugee crisis. At the end of 2022, the MENA region hosted 2.4 million refugees, 12.6 million internally displaced people (IDPs), 251,800 asylum seekers and 370,300 stateless persons.
Addressing a discussion yesterday on ‘Setting the Stage for the Global Refugee Forum: From Challenges to Opportunities’ UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Kelly Clements, said the region’s fragility and the elusive peace for years have put civilians at the mercy of the resulting catastrophe, and civilians pay the highest price.
“The highest price for parties not being able to agree, the highest price for persecution and being in a part of the world where the environmental factors will become even more acute as we go on has been the civilians. I think we’ve seen indications of that.
“This is an environment that can’t take more war at present, and it’s a worry about what the regional implications will be and the broader implications for global stability,” Clements told the discussion hosted by the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies at Doha Institute and the UNHCR GCC.
Clements added that 110 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide, adding that the number would be much higher when the next official figures are released. She disclosed that 35 million of the 100 million are refugees, and about 62 million are internally displaced people. According to Clements, the world has to find suitable solutions for people to support themselves and not leave the hard work to host countries alone.
Clements also mentioned several international efforts to protect people forced to flee their homes due to conflicts and persecution and the role of UNHCR in providing aid, shelter, food, and other materials that help preserve human rights.
“This may be one of the most challenging periods in the history of forced displacement, and clearly the world is not cooperating very well now, and there are people caught in the middle. Civilians pay the highest price with their lives. What we see in terms of the situation is how can we not just provide that protection and aid but also not lean so heavily on host countries.”
She underlined the importance of partnerships and enhancing social responsibility to deal with humanitarian issues. Clements said the refugee crisis has seen the average stay of refugees in host countries increase to 25 years on average due to prolonged conflicts and natural disasters.
On Palestine, Clements stressed that while the UNHCR has no mandate in the area, it hopes to support all people suffering from conflicts. She called for political will to resolve crises to avert dire consequences.
Speaking about the upcoming Global Refugee Forum, which will be held in Geneva next December, Clements said the forum, in its second edition, would be an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss and launch new initiatives that provide the appropriate environment for refugees in host countries, enhance refugee self-reliance, increase access to third-country solutions and improve conditions in countries of origin.
Held every four years, the forum is the world’s largest international gathering on refugees. It is designed to support the practical implementation of the objectives of the Global Compact on Refugees.
