Sonia Maiya, JRS Renk Education Officer, engages children in recreational activities at the transit center in Renk, South Sudan. Photo: JRS South Sudan
On World Refugee Day, June 20, Canadian Jesuits International (CJI) reaffirms its solidarity with millions of people who have been forced to flee due to war and conflict, persecution, climate change, and human rights violations.
CJI supports Jesuit partners who work towards a humane and long-term solution to forced displacement based on shared responsibility and the respect of human rights. CJI partners in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean accompany, serve and advocate for forcibly displaced people through emergency relief and long-term development projects.
On this day, CJI highlights the work its partner, Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) South Sudan, which provides education services for 1,241 children from refugee and host communities in Maban and Renk. It also provides 1,780 people displaced by the conflict in Sudan with mental health and psychosocial support. JRS also provides non-food items to vulnerable households experiencing psychological distress and provides rehabilitation care for children and adults with disabilities.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as of 2025, more than 124 million people have been forcibly displaced worldwide: 73.5 million are internally displaced, 36.4 million are refugees, 8.4 million are asylum-seekers, and 6.1 million need international protection. However, even as the number of forcibly displaced people continues to climb, UNHCR funding dropped by 30% in 2025 compared with 2024 as the US and other donors slashed their development aid, with some spending them instead to defense.
The theme for this year’s World Refugee Day, Until Everyone is Safe, focuses on “the right to seek safety as a common safeguard for all of us.” The UNHCR reminds everyone that the right was enshrined 75 years ago, after the Second World War. “People forced to feel have the right to seek safety and protection. It was never meant for a few. It was meant for all of us,” said the UNHCR. “No one is safe until the most vulnerable among us are. When people are forced to flee their homes, we all have a role to play. Ensuring protection for refugees strengthens communities, promotes stability, and saves lives.”
