Page 202 - A Helping Hand for Refugees

Afghans are the world's
largest refugee group. The
migration of the Afghan peo-
ple, ongoing for many years,
has now turned into a silent
tragedy forgotten by the
world. Afghan people who
fled their country have been
living in primitive camps for
many years.

Afghans represent the largest refugee group in the world, with 95%
of Afghan refugees seeking shelter in neighboring countries such as Pak-
istan and Iran. One in every four refugees in the world is an Afghan.

Afghanistan is followed by Somalia and Iraq. There are 450,000 refugees
registered with the UN living in Lebanon. The refugees in 12 settlements
resembling concentration camps are struggling to survive in great
poverty. Their basic rights have been denied and they are deprived of
any political rights, even symbolic ones.

Most of the refugees in Lebanon were exiled from Palestine in 1947-
48. For 66 years, these people have been living as refugees, and still
have no citizenship rights. Muslim Uighur Turks fleeing Red Chinese
persecution in East Turkestan, Rakhine Muslims deprived of citizen-
ship rights under oppression by the Myanmar regime and hundreds

200 A Helping Hand for Refugees