South Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Right now, there are close to 70 million people around the world who have been forced to flee their homes. That’s more than any time since the aftermath of World War Two. In addition to those who are forced to flee from violence and conflict, millions of people have been displaced by climate change and disasters.
Why are there so many displaced people?
There are two main reasons why there are so many displaced people right now. One is Syria, a single disaster that has displaced over 13 million people. Those displaced by the war in Syria live inside Syria, in neighbouring countries and in Europe. NRC provides emergency assistance to people inside Syria and in neighbouring countries.
The second reason is the long-standing conflicts where there are still no political solutions. Afghanistan is an example of that. Here too, it is important for NRC to maintain an active presence. We want to find solutions for those who have been waiting for peace and security for decades.
Nearly nine million people
Our personnel are recruited locally, and we have a total of 14,000 humanitarian aid workers. Apart from working in Ukraine, we are helping displaced people in around 30 countries outside Europe.
In 2017 we helped nearly nine million people.
We have long experience and the necessary knowledge to read and understand the situations. Our people are able to reach out to refugees and displaced people who are in the most remote and hard-to-reach places. We bring emergency aid to places despite ongoing security challenges, logistics challenges, difficult accessibility or restrictions from local authorities.
We hold the standard of neutrality high. We know how to negotiate with parties in conflict to gain permission to enter conflict areas and effectively ensure that help reaches those who need it most.
We are there when governments fall short
The conflicts in the world have changed over the last decades. Today, there are nearly no wars between countries, almost all wars are civil wars.
When the conflicts are inside a country or parts of a country, people are left in a weakened position because they don’t receive international protection. When governments are no longer able to protect their citizens, the help that NRC provides becomes all the more important.
NRC provides people around the world with protection, food, clean water, improved sanitary conditions and a roof over their heads.
We take a strategic approach. Initially, it is about getting people the help they need to survive. Later, long-term food security, schooling and legal advice are necessary for people to have a future.
NRC also contributes through NORCAP, our global provider of expertise to the humanitarian, development and peacebuilding sectors.
In collaboration with other organisations and national authorities, NORCAP works to protect lives, rights and livelihoods. NORCAP consists of over 1,000 women and men from all over the world. They can be sent out at short notice and contribute to a more efficient and coordinated response in various crises and conflicts.
Great trust
Never has there been a bigger need for our help than now.
The Norwegian Refugee Council was founded in 1946, in a Europe that lay in ruins after World War Two. Today, more than 70 years later, we are still standing up for people forced to flee.
Now as before – without compromise.