There is a civil war and people run for dear life, crossing the border into neighbouring countries. In other places, severe flooding had forced residents to abandon their homes as they sank a few meters underwater.
In another twist, the incumbent president is cracking down on his political rivals with a heavy hand, such that they have to flee or be used as an example. And religious intolerance is fueling cross-border movement as residents grapple with the option to convert or meet their maker.

These are the stories that flood the news, massive displacement due to conflict, natural disasters and persecution.

✓ ✅ What does "refugee" mean in your own words? Is this day celebrated in your country?

Anyone or group of people who have been forced evicted from their home due to a natural disaster, conflict, religious intolerance or what ever other reason and now has to seek shelter in another country or some place else still in their own country, such a person or group of people in such a vulnerable state are refugees.

On the 20th of June, the international community will join voices to honour the strength and courage of those who have had to flee their homes. On that day, there will be an editorial on the radio about the plight of the refugees. That is the most that would be done in commemoration of World Refugee Day in my area. If nothing else is done, that is still better than nothing, right?

✓ ✅ Name a country that is known for hosting a large number of refugees. What is the current situation of them ?

Let us share the award for hosting the largest number of refugees between Iran and Turkey.
Most of the refugees in Iran are from Afghanistan, approximately 3 million refugees. Turkey is taking in refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Ukraine.

✓ ✅ How do you think refugee children might be affected by leaving their homes?

There is the issue of lost and conflicted identity among children who are displaced. We often create attachments with our environment and call it home. If forcefully moved, some part of us stays behind. It is 34 years, but I still feel drawn to the place I spent my first 8 years. It feels like I need some closure, one final goodbye on good terms.
A strong feeling of insecurity and uncertainty hovers like a halo around a displaced child, and they grow with it, always worried about being displaced again. A displaced child constantly dreams of going home, only to be surprised when they get there, it does not feel like home, and they may not be welcome.
They may grow up having no true allegiance, not belonging, with no loyalty, open to abuse and terrible living conditions.

✓✅ If you could send a message of hope to a refugee. What would it say?

Do not get swallowed by despair, many have navigated through your current situation and have come out with a life, strong hope and confidence. Make yourself at home wherever you are. You are not defined by your situation, so don't let it dictate your worth or potential.
We all are refugees of different categories, ousted from a garden in the beginning. Even a known figure like Jesus was a child refugee in Egypt at some point in his life. Being a refugee did not stop his story from influencing the world.

✓ Conclusion and Invitation

Refugee status is not a pleasant place, exposed to abuses, food shortages, unemployment and unwholesome association. Some refugees are neck deep in depression, surviving in camps that are not far from a prison. Offer them love and respect, make their living condition better, speak empathetically to them, provide assistance with valuable information on regular things like where to get good food at a lower cost, where to find a job and how the system works in this new environment.

I am inviting @okere-blessing, @josepha and @lhorgic to express their thoughts on this subject.

Cc
@udyliciouz
@rubee2as1