Ashgabat, 18 June 2010 – On 20 June countries around the world will observe the tenth World Refugee Day (WRD). This year, WRD will coincide with the 60^th anniversary of UNHCR and devoted to the topic “They Took Our Home, but they cannot take Our Future”.

At the end of 2009, there were more than 43 million forcibly displaced all together, among whom 15 million refugees. This means that a significant number of people cannot go home with safety and in dignity. Four fifths of the world’s refugees live in the developing world, increasingly in urban areas. They are hosted by communities which, though often poor themselves, continue to welcome and support them.

Turkmenistan has since its independence hosted large numbers of refugees. Many of them have been given a home in the country, others have been resettled to third countries while most have been able to return to their home countries. At present some 60 refugees remain in Turkmenistan and are assisted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Turkmenistan and the Government of Turkmenistan to receive medical assistance and education for the children.

UNHCR works to help these refugees finding a durable solution, but also to support another group of persons of concern to UNHCR: stateless people.  Following the break up of the Soviet Union, thousands of people in former Soviet republics failed to formalise their nationality and legal link to the country in which they lived; so also in Turkmenistan.  UNHCR works together with the Turkmen Government to solve the problems of these people of whom many lived in Turkmenistan since its independence but have no legal link to the country, thus ensuring that they in the future can say that Turkmenistan is indeed their real and permanent home country. 

UNHCR has a long standing history of working together with eminent football players and football clubs to draw attention to the plights of refugees. Football is moreover a favoured activity among refugees and returnees all over the world, promoting friendship and reconciliation. To advocate for the situation of refugees and stateless persons in Turkmenistan, UNHCR Turkmenistan has therefore chosen to organize a football tournament among embassies staff, government officials and other Turkmen nationals, leading up to the final match on the World Refugee Day. The final match will be played in the sports complex of Azatlyk etrap of Ashgabat, at 12:00 AM on 20 June.

Further, an event focusing on refugee and statelessness issues and gathering Turkmen youth and young refugees will be held in Ashgabat on 19 June.

UNHCR appreciates the support received from the company “Turkmen Print” for its support to produce advocacy material for UNHCR’s work and the World Refugee Day 2010, and the Payhas ice cream company for supporting the events during the World Refugee Day by serving ice cream to the participants.  

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For more information, please contact Batyr Sapbiyev at:
(+993 12) 42 56 84(87); This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it