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World Vision
World News

World Refugee Day: Respond humanely, says Christian charity

by Hannah Tooley

Henry Makiwa from World Vision told Premier the world is in the middle of a humanitarian crisis.

He said: "There are close to 62 million refugees around the world, which is more than we've had in any other time in recorded human history.

"So it's very, very crucial for us to respond in a humane way towards this crisis facing our fellow human beings."

He said that for World Refugee Week they are asking for prayers for the Dadaab camp.

It is the world's largest refugee camp, located in Kenya, and will be closing, World Vision is warning that it could unleash a new wave of human migration across North Africa and Europe.

Henry Makiwa says that these people will have nowhere to go: "People are basically just going to be thrown into limbo in the Dadaab, they're from Somalia and South Sudan... if they're forced to return to those countries there's still wars going on so they'll be faced with a life going back into conflict."

War-torn Somalia is facing immense food shortages and an economic crunch that has been exacerbated by an El Nino-induced drought.

World Vision believes many refugees will choose to seek new lives elsewhere rather than return to dangerous areas without schools, hospitals, homes or jobs.

Henry Makiwa said that prayers are needed: "Pray for that situation, and we're also urging the international community to support the Kenyan government and the UN that is administering support in the camp, to reconsider that decision to close the Dadaab camp."

World Vision is warning that conflicts and food crises have created 15 million refugees in Africa - a quarter of all refugees across the world.

It is calling on the international community to act immediately on the commitments it made at last month's World Humanitarian Summit to help alleviate the refugee crisis.

Listen to Premier's Hannah Tooley speak to Henry Makiwa here:

The Boaz Trust - a Christian organisation supporting refugees in Greater Manchester - told Premier Britain is not doing enough to help displaced people.

Director, Dave Smith, said: "They come from all sorts of different countries; there are not just Syrians. It is people who have come from places like Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan, Eritrea [and] Iran; places where is either quite severe persecution of particular types of people or there is war.

"I think we are pretty awful in many ways because the narrative at the moment seems to be to stop people coming here at all costs.

"We have put up miles and miles of razor wire at Calais. We have increased border patrols on the other side of the Channel."

Hear Dave Smith from the Boaz Trust speaking with Premier's Alex Williams by clicking here:

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