Spare a thought today — World Refugee Day — for the 60 million displaced people living around the world. At no time since the Second World War have so many desolate and desperate people been existing in camps, shelters, tents or in precarious conditions. According to the United Nations, one out of every 122 of us that share this blue planet together are refugees. Put another way, imagine the entire population of the British Isles — every English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish man, woman and child, living as refugees somewhere else.
Yes, we are fortunate that we have roofs, houses, beds and know where our next meal will be coming from. But imagine for one minute, if you will, that you have no car, no home, live under canvas, eat from a field kitchen, your children have little or no schooling and you don’t know how long your plight will continue.
That is a sobering thought on this first day of Ramadan — one that should inspire us to reflect on our present condition: What we have and what these unfortunate 60 million must do without, each and every day for the foreseeable future.
Yes, the United Nations is there to assist — and so too are aid agencies. But what are you going to do today — and in the days to come — to make a difference? The sheer scale of the problem is overwhelming. Imagine what it is like for every single person forced out of his or her home.
