UN chief: Those blocking fleeing refugees should "stand in their shoes"

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday commended nations aiding migrants and refugees and asked people in countries blocking the way of the unfortunate to "stand in their shoes."

At his annual meeting with reporters at UN Headquarters before the 70th General Debate beginning next week in the UN General Assembly where world leaders gather, Ban addressed the plight of 100 million people or about "one in every 70 people on earth."

They need "life support," Ban said, and yet humanitarian appeals are "chronically underfunded."

"Brutal conflicts, breakdowns in basic governance, economic despair and other factors have generated displacements of people not seen since the Second World War," he said. "Sixty million people have fled their homes."

"Men, women and children fleeing war and persecution deserve real support, including asylum," said the UN chief. "I ask those standing in the way of the rights of refugees to stand in their shoes."

Ban saluted leaders and citizens in many other countries, including Germany, Sweden and Austria, for opening doors and showing solidarity. "I am also grateful for the financial generosity of many countries in addressing the humanitarian consequences, in particular the United Kingdom and Kuwait."

The secretary-general said that after the summit on Sustainable Development Goals, and during the General Debate in the General Assembly he is calling on Sept. 30 for a "high-level meeting to mobilize a humane, effective and rights-based response to the refugee crisis." He also called on all states to shoulder their responsibilities and live up to their legal obligations.

While a good deal of his nearly three-quarters of an hour with reporters was focused on refugees, he was asked about such crises as Iraq and Syria, South Sudan, Ukraine and Yemen, and problems facing the United Nations such as allegations of sexual exploitation by peacekeepers, as well as long-standing issues as Cyprus, the Israeli-Palestinian question and reform of the United Nations, particularly of the Security Council.

Ban's favorite campaign of late, however, is getting 15 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be formally adopted at a summit of 170 leaders beginning next week.

"The 2030 Agenda for sustainable development embodies the yearnings of people everywhere for lives of dignity on a healthy planet," Ban said. "It shows what (UN) member states can achieve when they work together in solidarity." Endit