World Refugee Day focuses on the hidden faces of displacement in West Papua, South Sudan and Myanmar

As the world observed World Refugee Day, faith-based organizations united to draw global attention to the often invisible suffering of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in some of the world’s most troubled regions.

In a panel discussion titled “Pilgrims of Hope: Hidden Faces of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons,” VIVAT International, Franciscans International, and the Jesuit Refugee Service highlighted the personal stories and human realities often lost behind displacement statistics.

Focusing on West Papua, South Sudan, and Myanmar, three regions ravaged by conflict, violence, and human rights violations, the event painted a sobering picture of life on the margins. 

According to UNHCR figures as of May 31, 2025, South Sudan hosts over 575,000 refugees and nearly 2 million IDPs. In Myanmar, more than 1.1 million refugees and 3.5 million internally displaced people continue to endure instability and violence. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s West Papua region is home to 97,000 IDPs, as reported by the 2025 Human Rights Monitor.

Speakers from each region shared powerful testimonies of fear, hunger, and life under military intimidation. They described destroyed schools and hospitals, ongoing airstrikes on civilian infrastructure, and the daily challenges of securing food, shelter, and access to education. Human rights abuses, including arbitrary arrests, sexual violence, torture, and forced labor, remain widespread and unchecked.

“Behind every statistic is a human story, a child deprived of education, a mother struggling to feed her baby, a family yearning for peace,” one panelist remarked, urging participants to remember the faces and voices behind the numbers.

Keynote speaker Richard Towle, former Deputy Director of UNHCR, provided a global perspective on the growing displacement crisis. 

He warned of a fractured humanitarian system, declining international cooperation, and the alarming diversion of resources toward military expenditures at the expense of humanitarian aid and peacebuilding efforts. With 59 active state-led conflicts worldwide, Towle said, barriers to humanitarian access and persistent human rights violations are worsening an already critical situation.

In response, the organizers issued an urgent appeal to governments and the international community. They called on local and national authorities to protect civilians and humanitarian workers, allow unrestricted humanitarian access, withdraw military and police forces from conflict zones, and provide meaningful support for displaced people’s basic needs, healthcare, food, housing, and education. They also stressed the importance of including displaced communities in decision-making processes affecting their lives.

At the global level, the call was clear: address the root causes of displacement, invest in durable solutions, and renew international solidarity. The organizers urged partnerships with local organizations, increased funding for essential services, and amplified support for refugees to rebuild their lives with dignity and hope.

“Displacement is not a permanent condition,” the statement concluded. “Refugees and internally displaced persons possess extraordinary resilience and strength. They are not a burden but a testament to human endurance and hope, an invitation for us all to act with compassion and justice.”

For media inquiries, please contact Paul Rahmat of VIVAT International at [email protected].