UNHCR joins humanitarian agencies from around the world and here in Sri Lanka in celebrating World Refugee Day. This year's theme is "A Place called Home", which reflects UNHCR's continuing worldwide efforts to find lasting solutions for millions of refugees and displaced people.

Across Sri Lanka, refugees and IDPs are coming together for festivals, exhibitions, and sports competitions to commemorate the day. This day of celebration and community also serves as a time to recognize that much work remains before millions of refugees and IDPs will truly have
"a place to call home".

To complement our UNHCR work to provide protection and assistance to IDPs and returnees, UNHCR Sri Lanka is launching a new official website, located at www.unhcr.lk . This website will have new stories, updated statistics, UNHCR publications, and lots of information about UNHCR
activities in Sri Lanka.

For World Refugee Day a range of different activities are being organised, ranging from a cycle marathon in Kilinochchi to a first aid training in Kalimootai to a performance by displaced children in
Trincomalee. Each of these activities and events aim to help refugees and IDPs to reflect and celebrate their incredible courage and perseverance.

Sri Lanka truly will have a very memorable World Refugee day. As UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers declares, "We can all assist in that process by extending a welcoming hand and by recognising that refugees are true survivors who can make valuable contributions to our
communities. They, too, deserve a place to call home."

 

For further information, please contact:

Maeve Murphy
UNHCR Associate Executive Officer
Ph: 011-2683971 ext. 343(o)
or 0777-557850(m)