Approximately 43.7 million people have been displaced from their homes and local communities due to armed conflicts, droughts, and famine around the world. These families are forced out of their homes and need to search for basic shelter, food, water, and medical care. 80 percent of those refugees are women and children.

Today, June 20, is World Refugee Day.  Created by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to celebrate these brave individuals who have left everything behind to escape conflict, World Refugee Day reminds us all that refugees need our support. Working together, we can help provide opportunities to displaced men, women, and children that they might have otherwise lost. Over the course of the week surrounding World Refugee Day, there are many ways that you can take action to help raise awareness for these often forgotten families.

Spread the word about World Refugee Day to your friends and family online:  Forward this blog, post on your own blog, follow @UNHCR and @UNHCRdc, or “like” the UNHCR Washington Facebook page. Tell friends and family about World Refugee Day and plan your own event to commemorate the millions that are displaced each year. Finally, sign the pledge to support refugee issues today!

If you are in the Washington, DC area, you can join two great events hosted by UNHCR—both free, and both open to the public: Today, June 20^th at 6:00 pm in the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater, Kim Schultz will be presenting “No Place Called Home,” a play inspired by the true stories of Iraqi refugees living in Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. Seating for the event is first come first served, and no RSVP is required. 

On Thursday, June 21^st at 7:00 pm at the Eighteenth Street Lounge, there will be a collaboration concert and reception featuring world renowned musical artists and a keynote by Khaled Hosseini, best-selling author of The Kite Runner.  You can see the full list of events across the country here.

Refugee families did nothing to deserve the daily struggles that they now face. Through UNHCR and the Million Moms Challenge, we can give hope to those who have lost everything to escape violence, as even one family without shelter is too many.