“European leaders promised action and countries promised to fulfil their moral responsibilities. But instead of building bridges they have built walls, and instead of taking their share of responsibility, they have participated in a race to a bottom,” said Egeland.
“European civilization, or lack thereof, is defined by how we receive persecuted human beings seeking our protection,” he added.
This week marks one year since the tragic death of Aylan Kurdi, the Syrian child who was found drowned on a beach in Turkey. The photo of the young boy created a wave of sympathy with the world’s refugees. In August, the photo of Omran Daqneesh from Aleppo became another symbol of the children´s suffering.
“The photos of Aylan and Omran must serve as reminders of the countless children who continue to lose their lives in the Mediterranean, or who become victims to bombs and fighting in brutal warzones they can no longer escape. In the face of this horror, we must act, not look away,” said Egeland.
The Norwegian Refugee Council hopes people again will mobilize in support of refugees, in the same way as we witnessed last autumn.
“It was inspiring to see the wave of solidarity standing with refugees last autumn, and we need to continue to stand up for these values and for the rights of people fleeing war,” said Egeland.
Since the death of Aylan Kurdi, more than 4,000 people have lost their lives in the Mediterranean on their way to Europe. Among them are hundreds of children.
“European leaders must do more to prevent new tragedies. We must welcome a much larger number of refugees for resettlement in Europe, and increase humanitarian assistance to people affected by war and conflict. Not only in Syria, but also in places like Afghanistan, Iraq and South Sudan,” said Egeland.
Facts:
- A record-high 65 million people are displaced by war and conflicts worldwide.
- The funding for global aid operations so far this year only covers 37 per cent of the identified needs.
- 1.15 million refugees need to be resettled globally according to the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR. The international pledges are far from meeting the needs.
- More than 4,000 people have died in the Mediterranean since Aylan Kurdi´s death on 2 September 2015, an increase compared to earlier years.
- Only 4,000 of more than 100,000 refugees that are suppose to be relocated from Italy and Greece as part of a European responsibility sharing deal, have been relocated so far.
- About 60,000 refugees and migrants are stranded in Greece. About 27,500 of them are children.
Sources: NRC, IOM, UNHCR, UNICEF
Note to editors:
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is a humanitarian organization working in 30 countries globally, including Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece and Serbia.
If you want interviews or more information, please contact:
Tiril Skarstein, Media Adviser at NRC, tiril.skarstein@nrc.no, +47 90569287
NRC media phone: +47 905 62 329
