Photos: The world’s displaced population compares to 12th largest country | Refugee News

The United Nations refugee agency released a report stating that forced displacement reached record levels worldwide last year. The report, titled Global Trends Report, revealed that approximately 120 million people were displaced globally due to wars and conflicts. This figure is equivalent to the population of the 12th largest country in the world, similar in size to Japan.

Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, emphasized the significance of the high number of displaced individuals. He highlighted the fact that this marks the 12th consecutive year in which the number of displaced people has increased, leading to countless human tragedies. Grandi called for urgent action to address the root causes of forced displacement.

Various recent situations in countries like Sudan, Gaza, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Myanmar have also contributed to new displacements. For example, by the end of 2023, over 10.8 million Sudanese remained uprooted, while 1.7 million people were displaced in the Gaza Strip due to Israeli attacks. Syria continues to face the largest displacement crisis, with 13.8 million people forcibly displaced both within and outside the country.

The report indicated that the largest increase in displacement came from people fleeing conflicts within their own countries, with the number reaching 68.3 million – a nearly 50 percent increase over the past five years. Additionally, the number of refugees in need of international protection rose to 43.4 million, with the majority hosted in neighboring countries. These hosts are typically low and middle-income countries that produce less than 20 percent of the world’s income.

The UNHCR emphasized the importance of improved cooperation and concerted efforts to address conflict, human rights violations, and the climate crisis to prevent further increases in displacement figures. Without such actions, displacement will continue to rise, leading to more suffering and the need for costly humanitarian responses.