GENEVA–The number of people forced to flee conflict, violence, human rights violations and persecution has for the first time surpassed the shocking threshold of 100 million…
; a figure also caused by the war in Ukraine and other fatal conflicts.
“One hundred million people is a staggering figure – one that gives pause and alarm in equal measure. It is a record that should never have been reached,” said Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. “This figure must serve as a wake-up call to resolve and prevent devastating conflicts, end persecution and address the causes that force innocent people to flee their homes.”
According to new data from UNHCR, the U.N. Refugee Agency, the number of people forced to flee worldwide rose to 90 million by the end of 2021, driven by new waves of violence or protracted conflicts in countries such as Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Nigeria, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In addition, this year the war in Ukraine has caused 8 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and there has been a movement of more than 6 million refugees from Ukraine.
The figure constitutes 1 percent of the global population and the total figure is equivalent to the 14th most populous country in the world. The figure includes refugees and asylum seekers as well as the 53.2 million people displaced within national borders due to conflict, according to a recent report by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC).
“The international response to people fleeing the war in Ukraine has been extremely positive,” Grandi added. “Solidarity is evident and we need a similar mobilization to happen for all crises around the world. But ultimately, humanitarian aid is a palliative, not a cure. To reverse this trend, the only answer is peace and stability, so that innocent people are not forced to choose between extreme danger at home or precarious flight and exile.”
On June 16, UNHCR will release its annual Global Trends statistical report, which will present a comprehensive set of global, regional and country data on forced migration for 2021, as well as more limited updates through April 2022 and details on returns and solutions.