HOW many of us who live in relatively peaceful countries ever give a thought to the conditions under which people live in conflict zones and why they are forced to leave?

There were graphic pictures coming out of Syria, during the war on ISIS and recently out of the Ukraine showing the widespread devastation and destruction of homes and buildings, certain areas being rendered complete wastelands.

In several countries in Africa, the story is the same, with drought conditions compounding the suffering of thousands faced with the prospect of extreme hunger and starvation.

Perhaps the most touching scenes on our television screens are of orphaned children scouring the rubble in search of food and other items they could use.

When it seems that survival has become impossible in their home countries, these children, some with their families, seek refuge in neighbouring countries or travel thousands of miles looking for a better life.

According to the United Nations (UN), “Every minute 20 people leave everything behind to escape war, persecution or terror…” And of those fleeing it is estimated that half are children.

The gravity of this situation cannot be ignored, for in so many instances being a refugee means you can take nothing with you. Though many have lost all their belongings before leaving their home country, others have to leave their homes and possessions behind and flee with just “the shirts on their backs.”

Last Tuesday, the world celebrated World Refugee Day, as it does each year on June 20 and today marks the end of Refugee Week, begun in 1998 as a direct result of media and community hostility towards refugees and asylum seekers.

This year’s theme, “Hope Away from Home,” aimed at fostering the hope of those who have been forced to flee their homes that they can build new lives and are always included.

This involves including refugees in the communities where they have found safety, which is seen as an effective way to help them contribute to their host countries. It is also thought to be the best way to prepare refugees to return and help build their home countries when conditions allow, or to thrive in the countries where they have resettled.

The refugee crisis is now at a record high of 110 million people and the UN Chief, Antonio Guterres has called on countries to support refugees by not closing their borders and coming up with more solutions to help displaced persons rebuild their lives.

“These are not numbers on a page,” Guterres said, “these are individual women, children and men making difficult journeys – often facing violence, exploitation, discrimination and abuse.”

And this year’s World Refugee Day has coincided with news that more than half a million people have now fled Sudan to neighbouring countries, prompting the current Chief of the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNCHR), Filippo Grandi, to declare, “Guns must fall silent if we want this exodus to stop.”

However, the guns continue to fire and every year millions of people are forced to leave their homes and their lives behind, travelling by any means of transportation available, often covering hundreds of miles on foot, looking for a safer place to live. They struggle to find shelter, food and water on these dangerous journeys and many do not make it.

Those who do survive end up in refugee camps, which can be as big as cities, usually run by charities, often cramped, overcrowded and with poor living conditions. The implications for both mental and physical health can be devastating, particularly as a result of the hazardous journeys to these camps and the emotional trauma of the entire experience.

Many become preys of human traffickers, robbed of the money they paid for their journey and end up as slaves with no hope of a better life, others have witnessed those who die on the way being thrown overboard or simply ‘falling by the wayside’ too weak to continue their perilous journey on foot.

As the World Health Organization (WHO) points out, “Refugees may have unique needs due to their pre-existing health conditions, social circumstances and the hazards they may face during their journey.”

However, perhaps the most pertinent comment, and one we should all consider, was made by UN Chief Guterres when he said, “The problems are war and hatred, not the people who flee.”