World Refugee Day 2013: “1 family torn apart by war is too many”

LWF World Service Director Hitzler Underscores Commitment to Children’s Education and Protection

(LWI) On the occasion of World Refugee Day, observed on 20 June, The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) affirms its commitment to providing a secure environment for families, especially children fleeing conflict in their home countries.

“1 family torn apart by war is too many,” is the theme the United Nations has dedicated in 2013 for events highlighting the plight of refugees and internally displaced people around the world.

In a statement today, Rev. Eberhard Hitzler, director of the LWF Department for World Service (DWS), says this theme “resonates in the faces of mothers, children, elderly men and women seeking immediate shelter, protection and safety” in refugee camps managed by the LWF in collaboration with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

“We are reminded of just how quickly a family’s life can be torn apart by war, changing the lives of children and parents forever,” Hitzler adds.

A report released today by the UN refugee agency indicates that by the end of 2012, more than 45.2 million people were in situations of displacement, compared to 42.5 million at the end of 2011. The UNHCR Global Trends report cites war as the major cause for this growing number of refugees or internally displaced persons, the highest recorded since 1994.

For the LWF, the conflicts in Syria, Sudan and South Sudan, Mali and the Democratic Republic of Congo “have been, and still remain a major concern for our global humanitarian response,” Hitzler notes.

Children make up around 50 percent of refugees and displaced people around the world. LWF’s response incorporates a special focus on children, with schools that provide a secure learning environment including child-friendly spaces and psychosocial support, Hitzler says.

The DWS director underlines gratitude to churches and people around the world for their continued support to “LWF’s commitment to provide hope for families torn apart by conflict.”

He adds, “Reaching out to families torn apart by conflict remains a practical expression of LWF’s commitment to serve people in need irrespective of religious affiliation, race or gender. Every life, each family counts. As Christians we want to protect children and their rights for a future in dignity."

World Service is LWF’s international humanitarian and development arm, with operations in more than 30 countries across the world.

The full text of the statement by DWS director Eberhard Hitzler