LOC21:27
18:27 GMT
WASHINGTON, June 20 (KUNA) -- The United States on Thursday affirmed its commitment to providing life-saving assistance for the most vulnerable.
"On World Refugee Day (WRD), we recognize the plight of millions of refugees who have fled their homes due to conflict and persecution, and we reaffirm our commitment to provide life-saving assistance for the most vulnerable," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the number of those forcibly displaced rose to more than 70 million worldwide, making this the highest on record, he added.
"We see the effects in places ranging from Syria to Afghanistan to South Sudan - more than half of the refugees in the world today have fled from these countries alone."
Venezuela is now the second largest displacement crisis in the world, where four million have been forced to flee their homes and their country, he noted.
All of this underscores the importance of responding in an effective, efficient, and comprehensive way, he said.
The United States is proud to be the largest single donor of humanitarian assistance worldwide.
In Fiscal Year 2018, the US provided more than USD 8 billion in humanitarian assistance, including funding to assist tens of millions of refugees, he stated.
The best way to help the most people is to work to end conflicts that drive displacement in the first place, to target the application of foreign aid in a smarter way, and to promote burden-sharing with partners and allies, according to the statement.
"We continue to call on other donors, including the private sector, to provide greater resources to address these urgent needs.
"We will continue to work with all refugee-hosting countries to find solutions that help in alleviating challenges," Pompeo concluded. (end)
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