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UN to meet to discuss large movement of migrants and refugees
UNCHR found a total 65.3 million people were displaced at the end of 2015
On the day the United Nations meets in New York to discuss the refugee crisis, organizers in London created a poignant reminder of the plight facing refugees.
Volunteers arrived in London’s Parliament Square Monday to construct a “life jacket graveyard” where over 2,500 were laid out, including 625, which had been used by children.
On average, 11 men, women and children have died across Europe every day over the past 12 months, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
Between January 2015 and August 2016, an estimated 6,940 people drowned or went missing while attempting to reach Europe.
The life jackets on display were used by refugees attempting to cross from Turkey to the Greek island of Chios.
According to the UNCHR, 281,740 people have made the sea crossing to Europe during the first eight months of 2016.
The number of refugees arriving in Greece has dropped from over 67,000 in January to 3,347 in August.
The decrease is largely due to the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement and the closure of the so-called Balkan route.
UNCHR says the number of arrivals to Italy has remained at more or less the same level with an estimated 115,000 refugees and migrants landing as of the end of August compared to 116,000 at the same time of the previous year.
In June, the UNCHR found that 65.3 million people were displaced at the end of 2015, compared to 59.5 million just 12 months earlier.
