Let's pray or hope, whichever you prefer, that 2011 does not produce as many refugees and victims as 2010. From Ivory Coast to Central and South Asia the prospects for this year already look bleak though. The good news is that these victims and refugees are not as lost to our eye and consciousness as very visible celebrities, what we have defined as "diplomat-artists" are working to insure that they are not ignored, or are compelled by circumstance to suffer in silence. Angelina Jolie, (who traveled to Bosnia to remind of those who are still refugees unable to return home more than 15 years after being ethnically cleansed), Brad Pitt, Barbara Hendricks are but a few of those features at www.diplomatartist.com 2010-A BAD YEAR: At year's end the United Nations reminds us that while there is upheaval from the financial and economic crisis in the developed world, human tragedy is even greater for those 43 million people who have been forcibly displaced by wars, natural disasters, and disease. UNHCR estimates that there are some 15.2 million refugees, 27 million internally displaced, and 983,000 asylum seekers. UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres warns that there is not only a shrinking of humanitarian space, but also a lessening of respect for humanitarians who struggle to alleviate human suffering. In a world where humanitarians were once respected, increasingly those who seek to help are met with hostility and forbidden access to those in need. This is no more apparent than in The Horn of Africa, one of the world's major trouble spots, where there are more displaced people than anywhere else. Places like Mogadishu are becoming nearly deserted, while in in less than three years, the Afgooye Corridor, flooded by the displaced, has grown into a city of 400,000. In Europe, Greece saw a significant influx of migrants and asylum seekers from Sudan, Afghanistan, and Somalia. Since the beginning of the year, over 44,000 have come from Turkey. Some are smuggled on transport trucks, others hiding under the carriage or the wheels in the hope of getting onto a ship or ferry. Tragically, some never made it alive. UNHCR counts floods in Pakistan as the greatest natural disaster of the year. The rains brought misery to the lives of over 14 million people who had to flee to higher ground to escape the waters. More than 248,000 homes were destroyed or damaged and 1.38 million acres were flooded across the country. Across the globe violence raged in places like southern Kyrgyzstan where an estimated 400,000 people were forced to flee their homes. Homes and businesses were destroyed and at least 300 people were killed in the inter-ethnic clashes in the cities of Osh an Jalalabad. Afghanistan accounted for one out of every four refugees. Iraqis were second with 1.8 million who fled to neighboring states. Over four fifths of refugees flee to neighboring countries threatening international peace and security over wide regions beyond the immediate conflict. On a positive note, UNHCR reports that a record number, 128,000 individuals were resettled in third countries which is the highest level in 16 years. Most will be going to the United States, Canada or Australia. Muhamed Sacirbey Tom Osborne More Film Reports at: www.haitiemergency.com www.pakistanwebtv.com www.humanitarianwebtv.com Direct links: "2010 Review: Bad Year for Disasters" diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/movie/2010refugees-bad-year-for-disasters/23883 "Barbra Hendricks (sings) for Refugees" diplomatartist.com/films/movie/barbara-hendricksunhcr-for-refugees/22780 PARODY: "Let Them Drown & Starve!" undiplomatictv.com/films/movie/let-them-drown-starve/21752 "Angelina Jolie: Muslim Loving, Godless Harlot or Angel of Mercy?" undiplomatictv.com/films/movie/angelina-jolie-muslim-loving-godless-harlot-or-angel-of-mercy/21751