UN reports reveal staggering figures: Over 120 million are currently displaced worldwide due to forced circumstances.

According to UNHCR, 1 in every 69 individuals is forcibly displaced from their homes

The term “displacement of people” refers to the forced relocation of individuals from their homes due to escalating conflicts, human encroachment, and violence in their area. These displaced individuals often find themselves settling in unauthorized locations due to limited resources, living in makeshift tents without access to necessities to endure and survive. These displaced individuals are referred to as ‘refugees‘ in the host area, seeking refuge in the area.

Governments often fail to acknowledge refugees as legal citizens, and as a result, they do not receive essential assistance throughout their lives. Because of this, these individuals often struggle to make a living under poor conditions.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees is an organization under the United Nations dedicated to addressing the neglect of displaced people.

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120 million people are now forcibly displaced.

A record number we never wanted to reach.

For the last 12 years, we have seen year-on-year increases in forced displacement, each a new record.

This needs to change.#GlobalTrends #ForcedToFlee

— UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency (@Refugees) June 14, 2024

The annual assessment of UNHCR

A report published in 2023, revealed that over the past 12 years, the number of people forced to leave their homes has been steadily increasing. The report estimated that a staggering 117.3 million individuals have been displaced from their homes, representing a concerning trend of displacement, making it nearly 1.5% of the world’s population displaced. This number has increased by double in a decade. Making it as 1 in 69 individuals forced out of their home.

The number of people forced out of their homes in 2023 was around 8.8 million due to conflicts in Sudan and Ukraine. The given numbers are representees of internally dislocated people, refugees, people in need of international protection, and asylum seekers.  

The displacement of ‘120 million’ 

On Thursday, A recent report by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said that the number exceeded 120 million comparatively more than twice the population of Italy. 

The United Nations Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, urged the international community to address the root causes of forced displacement and referred to the escalating numbers as a “human tragedy.”

The statistics also account for the fact that 40% of all forcibly displaced people are children. Throughout the year, there was a 7% increase in the number of displaced individuals, culminating in a total of 43.4 million people affected by continuous conflicts in Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine, Congo, and Myanmar. 

The affecting factors

The reasons behind people being forced to leave their homes include the failure to uphold international laws and the intentional effort to instill fear in communities in various countries. 

The civil war in Sudan has led to an increasing number of displacements since April of last year. This has resulted in around 11 million Sudanese citizens fleeing to Chad, a neighboring country, where approximately 600,000 Sudanese people have found shelter in the past 14 months.

In the past year, internal displacement has occurred in Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of Congo due to intense conflict.

Additionally, following a strike by Hamas on Israel, 75% of the population in Gaza have lost their homes, affecting approximately 1.7 million people.

The number of displaced refugees and asylum seekers from Ukraine has reached 6 million, and the crisis in Syria continues to be the largest in the world, with a staggering 13.8 million people displaced within the country and abroad, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. 

Glimmer of hope

Around 1.8 million refugees have returned home, as reported by the organization, bringing a glimmer of hope, said Grandi. He added that countries like Kenya have shown commitment to including refugees.

The hosting communities and the refugees require solidarity and assistance, the organization is dedicated to offering innovative approaches and solutions to refugees worldwide, as assured by the Grandi.