By Elizabeth Hagen

Today, 20 June, marks the 10th observation of World Refugee Day. The formal UN General Assembly celebration was created to promote awareness for the millions of refugee populations around the globe.

In May, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) anticipated a total of 41,344 refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt by the end of 2011.

According to Refugees International (RI) more than 200,000 refugees have fled to Egypt since protests began in Libya. Furthermore, an estimated 1,700 refugees, mostly migrants, are being airlifted each day from both Egypt and Tunisia to their home countries, a rate much lower than when the conflict first began and international funding was pouring in.

While RI commended Egypt’s role in facilitating humanitarian aid into Libya, the organisation characterised the shelter situation at the Saloum border site as “simply inadequate.”

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