Thoughts
Violence creates displacement. Iraqis are fleeing their homes to escape increasing sectarian violence; more than a million are refugees seeking protection in another country, while another million or more are internally displaced because they have left their homes to find safer areas in other parts of Iraq. The fighting in the Darfur region of Sudan has displaced more than 2.2 million people, most living in huge camps. The problems are daunting, but the number of refugees actually has been declining, from close to 15 million in 2001 to about 12 million at the end of 2005. Another 23 million people are internally displaced, meaning that they have fled their homes without crossing an international border, but even that number is down.
The reason the displacement numbers are declining is that people go home when wars end. The fall of the Taliban in 2001 enabled more than three million Afghans to return home, mainly from Pakistan and Iran. The end of wars in Angola, Sierra Leone, Liberia has triggered large returns. Today, people are returning to their homes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as fighting subsides after years of bitter war. Some of the progress reflects the more effective use of UN peacekeepers, particularly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and the DRC. Another reason for the spread of peace is the growing realization that conflict in one African country burdens neighboring countries with refugee flows, trade interruptions, arms trafficking and other destabilizing forces. Thus, African leaders are playing a greater role in bringing peace to their continent. When I talk to people who have fled their homes to stay alive, whether in Afghanistan, the Balkans or Sudan, I am struck by the resilience and hope that I see in the face of real loss and adversity. Most want to return home as soon as there is peace and security. I am also struck by the relatively small investments in food or farming equipment, education or job training, healthcare and sanitation, peacekeepers or police that could lead to dramatic improvements in their lives. This is where nonprofit relief and development agencies can play a huge role; this is how private philanthropy can help save lives and maintain stability. Generating more attention to problems and highlighting the need for effective life-saving solutions is the is the role of Refugees International and other advocacy agencies . The challenge of ending displacement is inseparable from the challenge of establishing and maintaining peace. When wars end, farmers return to their fields; children return to school; violence against women declines; trade and economic activity resume; medical and other services become more accessible, and the international focus changes from relief to development and self-sufficiency. All this makes new wars less likely. It is a virtuous cycle that deserves nurture and support. |
