World Refugee Day 2025

June 20 marks World Refugee Day, reminding us of the 123 million people forced to flee their homes — including 49 million children. Over half are displaced within their own countries, like in Gaza, where 90% of residents are internally displaced. Most refugees come from Venezuela and Syria.

If refugees formed a nation, it would be the 11th most populous, equal to Japan. 60% stay within their own country, and 26% seek shelter in neighboring states — highlighting their desire to stay close to home.

– Refugees mainly seek safety. Most dream of returning home – says Ewa Piekarska-Dymus, head of Polish Medical Mission (PMM), which aids vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities and mothers with children, in Ukraine, Syria, Gaza, and elsewhere.

Gaza has become a refugee enclave, with over 90% of people displaced in the past year amid bombings, hunger, and ongoing war. Despite limited access, PMM doctors work in a Gaza hospital. PMM also continues supporting Syrian and Ukrainian refugees and Venezuelans — now the largest refugee group globally.

In Colombia, PMM provides Venezuelan refugees in Bogotá with basic medical care, especially prenatal and childbirth support. This focus is urgent: over 2 million babies were born as refugees this year. With the climate crisis worsening, the World Bank predicts 216 million refugees by 2050.