Commemorating World Refugee Day 2022

PRESS STATEMENT

ANTONY J. BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE

JUNE 20, 2022

This World Refugee Day, we acknowledge the unprecedented humanitarian crises across the globe, resulting in the largest number of refugees in history. Last month, we reached the tragic milestone of more than 100 million people forcibly displaced worldwide. Through humanitarian assistance, diplomacy, and refugee resettlement, the United States leads the way in helping the courageous and resilient people who are forced to flee persecution to find safety and rebuild their lives.

The UN Refugee Agency’s theme for World Refugee Day this year is, “Whoever. Wherever. Whenever. Everyone has the right to safety.” We value and honor refugees’ strength and perseverance. Our commitment to the world’s vulnerable is unwavering.

The United States is the world’s largest single donor of humanitarian assistance, providing more than $13 billion in humanitarian aid to those in need during Fiscal Year 2021. The needs are significant, however, and we call on the donor community to increase contributions to support the needs of refugees and other vulnerable populations around the globe. We will continue to represent the best of American values by saving lives and alleviating suffering, working with our partners at home and abroad to assist the forcibly displaced in their time of need – no matter who or where they are, on World Refugee Day and every day.