Chapter 2 - War and Conflict – Causes of Flight

War and Peace

Today, there are probably over 20 million refugees and displaced people throughout the world, many living in overcrowded camps, refugee settlements, or simply hidden from view in towns and cities. Many of these people have been displaced from their homes because of conflict and violence. They have been the targets of armies and rebel groups, often caught between warring factions that do not care about their suffering.

Conflict continues to affect millions of civilians every year, destroying houses, whole villages and lands for farming. Recent examples include: Colombia, where over 2 million people are displaced as a result of the long-running civil war there; Sudan, where up to 5 million people have fled their war-torn regions for the relative safety of the capital city Khartoum and other areas; and the Balkans where, even though the conflict has ended, up to half a million people remain displaced, many living in terrible conditions. These are just three examples, though there are over 30 different conflict zones around the world, all forcing people to flee their homes.

Conflict can have many bad effects on a society. It takes away education and other opportunities; it destroys health infrastructure and productive activities; and it can cause distrust between people in a community to grow.

Look at the map below, and see how many conflicts you can identify.


 

Activity – Test Your Knowledge of Refugees

1) What percentage of all the refugees and displaced people in the world live in Europe?

2) Which two countries in Europe host the most refugees and displaced people?

3) About how many persons in the European Union filed for asylum in 2005?

4) In which two countries in Europe were the most applications for asylum filed?

5) Where does the largest group of asylum seekers in Europe come from?

Links and further reading

BBC Children of Conflict special report:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/features/childrensrights/childrenofconflict/