Facts consistently show that when refugees have access to housing and freedom of movement, they contribute economically and socially to the communities that host them, Barham Salih, former President of Iraq and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) official said during his speech at the event titled “Housing at the Center of Recovery and Reconstruction After Crisis” held within the framework of WUF13, APA reports.
“Internally displaced persons are not a burden, they are part of the solution. We are already seeing that this is possible — from camps turning into cities in Kenya and Ethiopia, to inclusive approaches in Chad and Mauritania, as well as strong municipal leadership in Europe.
Cities are no longer just places that manage migration, they are places that provide protection, inclusiveness and solutions. But municipalities cannot and should not do this alone. They need authority, stable financing, and strong cooperation with development partners, the private sector and communities,” Barham Salih emphasized.
