Not to long ago, I thought I had a handle on what it means to be a refugee. However, since joining in this journey the form of my understanding has been carved into a clearer definition.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) defines refugee as: People who have fled their countries due to fear of persecution, having crossed an international boarder. At present there are at least 42 million people uprooted by conflict.
Another group that should be introduced are the Internally Displaced People (IDPs). That is to say they are uprooted but in their own country. While they are often called refugees, they don’t fit the original definition of what it means to be a refugee.
The UNHCR defines IDPs as someone who is forced to leave their home but remains within their borders. This group makes up nearly two-thirds of the entire population of displaced people seeking asylum. IDPs populations could be found in countries such as Sudan, Columbia, Iraq etc.
As we move forward, we hope to give you a clearer picture of who these people are on a micro level. All of these people have names and their own story. The sea of 42 million+ might cause the eyes to gloss over and our goal in this accompaniment is to bridge the gap between definitions and statistics.
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