Global displacement reaches an alarming 122 million people!

Global displacement reaches an alarming 122 million people!

The global number of forcibly displaced people reached the mark at the end of April 2023122.1 millionexceeded, which corresponds to an increase of over two million compared to the previous year. This emerges from the current report by UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency. The annual Global Trends report highlights the devastating effects of wars and conflicts, particularly in countries such as:Sudan, Myanmar and Ukraine, illuminated. The biggest financial crisis in UNHCR's 75-year history is negatively impacting relief efforts for displaced people, while the number of returnees has increased slightly.

In Austria the number of asylum applications has fallen sharply56,158 in 2022on only22,254 in 2023. This reflects global trends characterized by military conflicts and humanitarian crises. OTS reported that60%of displaced people fleeing within their own countries. In the last ten years the number of displaced people has almost increaseddoubled, while UNHCR's available resources have remained constant since 2015.

International trends and regional priorities

In 2023 were123 millionPeople around the world affected by flight and expulsion, like this bpb reported. Of which were63.3 millioninternally displaced persons,31.6 millionrefugees and6.9 millionAsylum seekers. Sudan tops the list of displacement crises worldwide14.3 milliondisplaced people, followed by Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine. More than half of internally displaced people live in five countries: Sudan, Syria, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Yemen.

The distribution of refugees in different countries is particularly striking. According to bpbthe halfof all refugees and asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Syria and Ukraine, while the largest receiving countries are Iran, Türkiye, the USA and Germany. These states have different burdens relative to the size of their population, with Lebanon and Jordan receiving the most refugees and asylum seekers per capita.

Urgent need for action

The humanitarian situation is alarming. The UNHCR reports that16 millionpeople in need of international protection, including5.8 millionfrom Venezuela and4.4 millionStateless people. These figures highlight the ongoing pressure to secure funding for global assistance and infrastructure in host countries to help displaced people. Over the past decade, the need for assistance has increased while resources have stagnated, exacerbating the situation for millions of people.

The UNHCR statistics include not only refugees, but also returnees and other groups such as stateless persons in need of humanitarian assistance. The end of 2023 was estimated117.4 millionPeople protected or supported by UNHCR, underlining the urgency of the international response.

The UNHCR report is published annually onJune 20thon World Refugee Day publishes and processes data collected from January to the end of December of the previous year. The general trend makes it clear that the global challenges related to flight and displacement remain significant and that decisive measures are necessary to alleviate the suffering of the people affected. More about this on the website of UN refugee aid.