[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16753]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  COMMEMORATING WORLD REFUGEE DAY 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 20, 2007

  Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, since 2001, people across the globe have 
come together on June 20 to show their support for the millions of 
refugees throughout the world who have fled their homes for fear of 
persecution, imprisonment or even murder. On this sixth anniversary of 
World Refugee Day, we make a solemn pledge to these courageous and 
resilient people that their plight has not gone unnoticed and they do 
not stand alone.
  In April, I led a congressional delegation to Sudan and saw, first-
hand, the effects of one of the worst refugee crises facing our world 
today. In Darfur, I saw mothers and fathers struggling to provide for 
their children's most basic needs--necessities we often take for 
granted, such as food, water, clothing and shelter. I saw people 
fighting to overcome years of physical and mental abuse so severe that 
they would rather wander the desert than remain in the torturous 
environment their homeland had become. And I saw things that made me 
wonder how the world could stand silent while suffering of this 
magnitude continued.
  With more than 686,000 refugees, Sudan is now ranked as the third 
largest refugee crisis in the world, according to the United Nations 
High Commissioner on Refugees, falling behind Iraq, where sectarian 
violence has created 1.5 million refugees--1.2 million fled the country 
in 2006 alone--and Afghanistan with 2.1 million. And it comes as no 
surprise that Sudan, Iraq and Afghanistan now also rank first, second 
and eighth, respectively, on the Foreign Policy Index on Failed States, 
which was released on Tuesday.
  When people are forced to flee from their homes, they leave behind 
more than just material possessions; they often must trade their 
dignity, self-respect and hopes for the future for their very survival. 
And it is not just the refugees themselves that suffer. The instability 
and mortal dangers that create refugee crises threaten the safety and 
security of entire regions, if not the entire world.
  On this World Refugee Day, I am proud to join with the defenders of 
human rights who are calling on each of us to not only acknowledge the 
tragedies suffered by refugees across the globe, but who are also 
challenging us to step up and do something about it.

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