The new displacement statistics came out this week. 68.5 million. That is the number of people who are forcibly displaced globally due to “persecution, conflict, or generalized violence” (UNHCR Global Trends – Forced Displacement in 2017, p. 2). This is an increase from 2016 and again, a record-setting high number.
We have been told that most people cannot comprehend that number of people. The number is so large, that it is too difficult to get a sense of it’s impact. Maybe it’s like looking at a large forest and not really seeing the individual trees.
But those 68.5 million are individuals…moms, dads, brothers, sisters….some young (52% are under the age of 18), some old…some come in families, some come alone. Many more children are fleeing on their own. Most come running for their lives and the lives they love.
But one thing…they all come as Human Beings. Just like you and me. And we Must Do Better in how we respond as individuals, as families, as churches, and as countries.
By the way, tomorrow (June 20 – World Refugee Day) I will post a link to the UNHCR Global Trends if you want to get a sense of the whole picture of forced displacement.