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© International Rescue Committee / Jonathan L. WiesnerAfter years of exile in Uganda, more than 160 refugees returned home to South Sudan last week -- joining some 155,000 others who have already made the trek back to their homeland. UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres joined this three-day mission to mark World Refugee Day. "The people of southern Sudan suffered a lot....But now there is peace. Peace is the most important thing. All things are possible with peace," Guterres said.

There are approximately 3 million refugees and 11 million internally displaced people on the African continent. These staggering numbers represent nearly 40 percent of the total number of people displaced by conflict worldwide.

While agencies are working hard to support these vulnerable populations, programs generally only cover the most basic needs of water, food, shelter, and minimal health care -- with little left over for rebuilding. This inability to invest in the recovery process "jeopardizes the peace and stability of countries that are only just now emerging from protracted conflict," said the vice president of Refugees International, telling a U.S. Congressional committee this week what it could do to better support African refugees.

Although World Refugee Day has come and gone, the reality of being displaced from one's home and country is one that millions of people around the world will continue to face each day. For background about World Refugee Day, visit Human Rights Education Associates' refugees page. To learn more about who counts as a refugee, why they leave their homes, where they go, and how they're treated when they get there, check out OneWorld's topic guide on refugees.

Also, if you're going to be in the New York area this weekend, why not join the NY/NJ Friends of Refugees for free food, music, performances, and an art exhibit to celebrate the contributions refugees and asylees have made to their communities. Click here for more information. And to keep up on upcoming events, non-profit job openings, and more, sign up for your local OneWorld list (New York; Washington, DC; Baltimore; Boston; Philadelphia; and the San Francisco Bay Area) .

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