Geneva, Switzerland

The United Nations (UN) on Wednesday (June 14) said that a record 110 million people across the world have been forcibly displaced from their homes. 

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The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, refugees fleeing Afghanistan and the fight in Sudan have pushed hundreds and thousands of people to seek shelter abroad and those displaced within their own country to an unprecedented level, AFP reported.

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The UN refugee agency chief Filippo Grandi, during a press conference, said, "We have 110 million people that have fled because of conflict, persecution, discrimination and violence, often mixed with other motives -- in particular the impact of climate change." He added that it's quite an indictment of the state of our world. 

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Last year, the agency in its Global Trends in Forced Displacement report stated that 108.4 million people were displaced. It added that recent Sudan's conflict triggered further displacement reaching 110 million. 

The number was 19.1 million up from 2021, making it to be the biggest increase since the records began in 1975. Stating data for 2022, Grandi said that globally 35.3 million refugees fled abroad, with 62.5 million displaced internally.

Numbers likely to increase

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The UNHCR chief Grandi expressed his fear that the numbers might increase in the coming months and years. 

He said that the swelling displacement this year might increase but they'll ensure a "more hostile" environment for refugees. "Leadership is about convincing your public opinion that there are people that deserve international protection."

The chief added that countries need to remain open so that people can seek shelter and asylum to feel safe. 

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Sudan continues to pose fear

Grandi said that the refugee agency is not in a good financial situation this year. He said that it has only 16 per cent fund needed for Sudan and added that the fight in Sudan might continue for a while. 

Officials predict that some 467,000 people have fled Sudan since the fighting between parties broke out in April, while over 1.4 million have become internally displaced. 

The countries hosting the most refugees are Turkey (3.6 million), Iran (3.4 million), Colombia (2.5 million), Germany (2.1 million) and Pakistan (1.7 million). 

However, last year, over 390,000 refugees returned back to 38 countries, while some 5.7 million internally displaced people returned home. 

(With inputs from agencies)

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