Over 50 faith leaders have signed an open letter calling for leaders of member governments of the United Nations to provide help and protection for all those who have been displaced within their own country by conflict or crisis.
Currently there are more than 65 million people displaced due to conflict and violence, and 40.5 million of these remain in their countries of origin (internally displaced people).
‘It would take more than a year to read all their names’, states the letter.
‘Our faiths compel us to speak out against the disregard of their human rights, their marginalisation, and the stripping of their dignity. We are united in calling on you to work with UN agencies, INGOs, civil society and faith communities to prevent displacement in the first place, to protect those who are displaced, and to work with people forced to flee to find durable solutions’ say the faith leaders.
The letter calls on ‘leaders of national governments, together with local partners, civil society, faith communities and the private sector as well as humanitarian and development actors, to join the GP20 Plan of Action to prevent further forcible displacement of people, strengthen the protection of those who are displaced, and seek long-lasting and durable solutions with them’.
Signatories include Christine Elliott, Director of International Programmes at Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) and The Right Reverend Jonathan Clark, Chair of the CTBI Churches Refugee Network.
You can read the open letter from faith leaders on the Christian Aid website.
