Did you know that Monday, June 20, was World Refugee Day?
Robert Carey, Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, wrote to draw notice to the suffering of 60 million refugees around the world — the highest number since WWII, most fleeing violence in Somalia, Afghanistan and Syria. “This observance is not about what our government can do. It is about what every single one of us can do to make sure that people who are displaced or impacted by war or violent conflict have what they need to survive and find a safe haven,” he wrote.
“The citizens of the United States have a proud tradition of being generous and resourceful in our support for those who are most vulnerable. … Last year Ohio welcomed and resettled 2,989 refugees, with many coming particularly from Burma, Somalia and Democratic Republic of Congo.”
To those new Ohioans, welcome. Your thoughts? Email rrollins@coxohio.com.
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