Upon arrival of World Refugee Day, growing number of refugees in dire need of help

An Iraqi girl who fled from of Islamic State violence clap during World Refugee Day celebrations at Al-salam refugee camp in Baghdad, Iraq, June 20, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

After more than a decade since the United Nations (UN) General Assembly started to observe World Refugee Day on June 20 every year, the refugee problem still remains unsolved.

Every minute eight people leave everything behind to escape war, persecution or terror, according to the United Nations. The world is experiencing the worst refugee and humanitarian crisis since World War II, as the conflicts and turmoil waged by the U.S.-led Western forces are displacing a growing number of people.

UNPRECEDENTED REFUGEE CRISIS

According to UN data, the refugee population has currently surpassed 60 million around the world, and about 1.19 million people will need resettlement in 2017, likely up 72 percent on the projected needs of 691,000 in 2014, before the large-scale resettlement of Syrians began.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi said prior to the World Refugee Day, "we are in a period of deepening conflict and turmoil in the world, which is causing many more people to flee their homes than before."

So far this year, some 2,856 migrants and refugees have drowned crossing the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe, standing at over 1,000 more fatalities compared to 2015's mid-year total, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).