Supporting UNHCR's Work
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THEMATIC CHAPTERS © UNHCR / B. LOYSEAU For the first time in Olympic history the International Olympic Supporting UNHCR’s Work Committee created a team of 10 refugee athletes from four countries to compete IN THIS CHAPTER: In recent years forced displacement has reached on addressing large movements of refugees and This chapter highlights the important role as the Refugee n Hosting the world’s refugees unprecedented levels, with 2016 seeing the highest migrants, and the subsequent adoption of the played by traditional and non-traditional Olympic Team in Rio de Janeiro in n Engaging with partners level of people displaced by violence and persecution New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants partners, including UN agencies and August 2016. n Mobilizing the private sector since the Second World War. Host countries and their followed by the Leaders’ Summit on Refugees international organizations, NGOs, n Celebrity support national populations continue to generously host held in 2016 recognized forced displacement as development actors, private sector, host millions of forcibly displaced people around the world. the defining humanitarian and development governments, host communities and The changing scale and scope of global displacement challenge of our time. Developing new celebrities, in leveraging support to people of has dominated the attention and compelled the approaches and diversifying innovative concern and enabling UNHCR to carry out its international community to revisit traditional partnerships remain essential for UNHCR to work in 2016. approaches. The World Humanitarian Summit, the effectively respond to the protection and needs United Nations General Assembly high-level meeting of people of concern. 174 • UNHCR GLOBAL REPORT 2016 2016 UNHCR GLOBAL REPORT • 175 THEMATIC CHAPTERS | Supporting UNHCR’s Work Supporting UNHCR’s Work | THEMATIC CHAPTERS Hosting the world’s refugees service delivery in critical sectors Chart 2 | NUMBER OF REFUGEES PER 1,000 INHABITANTS | 2016 like education and health, on consumption of natural In recent years, global forced displacement food, water and shelter. Despite concerns resources such as water, land has reached unprecedented levels, with over the security and political and forests, on labour markets, around 86 per cent of displacement and consequences, host countries and their and on prices of essential refugee situations being located in the populations have generally demonstrated commodities. developing world and almost two-thirds of their strong commitment to the principles of refugees in protracted displacement refugee protection and international The effects on the host situations. While the conflict in the Syrian obligations, and their efforts deserve communities are influenced by Arab Republic (Syria) has been the largest recognition. existing socio-economic refugee producing situation—and with the circumstances prior to the neighbouring countries of Jordan, Lebanon Although the majority of contemporary refugees’ arrival, by the nature and Turkey having borne the brunt of the refugee situations are protracted, few and scale of the refugee presence Source: National population: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division associated challenges—conflicts in other credible analyses of the costs and benefits and composition, and by the policy World Population Prospects, the 2015 Revision parts of the world are still driving sizeable have been recorded. This is partially and operational response pursued (medium fertility variant projection for 2016) https://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/ numbers of people into host countries like explained by the fact that, statistically, most by the authorities and their Ethiopia, Niger, Uganda and the United refugee arrival numbers have barely international partners. Typically, Republic of Tanzania. Others, like Kenya exceeded 3 per cent of a country’s refugee arrivals occur in border Chart 3 | NUMBER OF REFUGEES PER ONE MILLION USD GDP | 2016 and the Islamic Republics of Iran and population. This largely explains why regions where development Pakistan, have been hosting large numbers baseline data on the social and economic progress frequently lags behind of refugees for decades. impacts of refugee situations on host national indicators and where communities has rarely been collected. government service provision may Chart 1 | TOP 10 REFUGEE-HOSTING be limited. The number of refugees COUNTRIES IN 2016 | in millions The issue has deservedly gained greater and displaced people and their attention as a result of the huge socio-economic profile often demographic shock experienced by Jordan, influence the immediate ease or Lebanon and Turkey in absorbing millions of difficulty a country has in absorbing Syrian refugees since 2011. The economic them. The policy and operational effects, including increased costs to the response of a government and local hosting governments, have drawn greater authorities are critical factors in Source: Gross Domestic Product (PPP): International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database, April 2017. donor attention. Indeed, in parallel with the determining the pace at which host https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2017/01/weodata/index.aspx rising fiscal expenditure on education, communities absorb more people health and other critical services there is and recover from the impact of this also wider recognition of the public good demographic change. that has been provided by Syria’s neighbours through offering protection to If not addressed adequately, the resulting The provision of food, water, and shelter is refugees. imbalances can generate tensions between a life-saving measure in the initial stages of The immediate response to most local communities and refugee and other an emergency. Perceptions of inequality large-scale refugee movements focuses Importantly, the Syria situation has also displaced populations. In that context, it is among host communities can arise, understandably on the condition of the highlighted the needs of host communities, important for UNHCR and all concerned however, especially in contexts where the displaced people themselves. From the which have all too often been overlooked. stakeholders to ensure a timely and incidence of local poverty is itself extremely perspective of humanitarian actors, the The consequences of a sudden effective response for refugees, while also high. As refugees start to consume natural over-riding emphasis is on providing demographic increase can be considerable, facilitating support for, and social cohesion resources, to use local services, to essential and life-saving assistance, such as and can result in substantial pressure on with, host communities. purchase goods in local markets driving up 176 • UNHCR GLOBAL REPORT 2016 2016 UNHCR GLOBAL REPORT • 177 THEMATIC CHAPTERS | Supporting UNHCR’s Work Supporting UNHCR’s Work | THEMATIC CHAPTERS prices, and to look for livelihood particular focus on livelihoods and opportunities, any tensions arising from education, are critical. Therefore, UNHCR their presence can become more real. strengthened its collaboration with the World Bank, as well as with regional The consequences may not appear in financial institutions, development agencies national statistics but they can be relatively such as UNDP, and the private sector. dramatic at household level. There is certainly evidence that if goods and When refugees are given the chance, they services are already scarce prior to the can support themselves and their families, Thermal blankets, arrival of refugees, particularly in vulnerable and make positive contributions to the sleeping bags and areas, prices will rise in response to an communities hosting them. Refugees and winter items are often inadequate supply of staple goods host communities mutually empower each distributed at the Agios Andreas site in and services to meet increased demand. other, socially and economically. © UNHCR / Y. KYVERNITIS Attica, Greece. Furthermore, equipping refugees with skills Depending on the prevailing and resources enables them to contribute socio-economic context and the type, level, to the reconstruction of their countries and speed and quality of the response, any building peace when they return. initial problems generally stabilize and both Engaging with partners refugees and host communities adjust to At the United Nations General Assembly the new context. Moreover, there is growing high-level meeting on addressing large evidence that over time, and with the right movements of refugees and migrants held “The New York Declaration marks a political commitment approaches and investments, refugees can in September 2016, Member States of unprecedented force and resonance. It fills what has benefit the communities hosting them. unanimously adopted the New York been a perennial gap in the international protection They often bring new opportunities, Declaration for Refugees and Migrants. This particularly in under-served regions where landmark political declaration aims at system – that of truly sharing responsibility for refugees.” socio-economic development is limited. improving the way in which the international They represent an increase in the number community responds to such movements of — Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees of consumers, thus a spur to local refugees and migrants, including protracted productivity, trade and business, and attract refugee situations. government and international engagement, UNHCR