The number of people fleeing their home, their country, has accelerated to a level never seen before. In the past five years no fewer than 15 conflicts – some new, some old – have brought unspeakable tragedy and misery to millions across the world.

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By the end of 2018, 70.8 million forcibly displaced worldwide,

25.9 million

refugees

41.3 million

internally displaced people

3.5 million

asylum-seekers

First Global Refugee Forum, 17 and 18 December 2019, Palais des Nations, Geneva

“When I could not speak Turkish, life was really tough.”

On a hot afternoon in Turkey’s capital Ankara, we speak to Enas, 23, and her brother Mohammed, 24 years-old, sitting next to each other in the campus of the university where Mohammed studies.

Istanbul’s Arabic library for bookish Syrians

True to her nature, the young woman who had fled conflict in Syria before striking out on her own in Turkey decided to do something about it. She sourced her first 200 books through donations from abroad and set up her own lending library, initially just for friends.

Searching for Syria