Number of displaced people as of May 2024 is 120 million people
Geneva/Vienna (OTS) – The number of displaced people worldwide rose last year and again this year and has reached a historic high. According to the “Global Trends ReportAs of May 2024, 120 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide – that is more than the population of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands combined.
UNHCR’s annual report on displacement and displacement shows that new and changing conflicts, as well as the inability to resolve existing crises, have led to an increase in displacement for the twelfth consecutive year.
The devastating conflict in Sudan in particular is driving up the numbers: since April 2023, more than 7.1 million people have been displaced within their country, and a further 1.9 million have fled across Sudan’s borders. A total of 10.8 million Sudanese were on the run at the end of 2023. In the Democratic Republic of Congo and Myanmar, millions of people were displaced last year by intense fighting within the country.
The UN Palestinian relief agency UNRWA estimates that up to 1.7 million people (75 percent of the population) in the Gaza Strip had been displaced by the catastrophic violence by the end of last year, with many Palestinian refugees having to flee multiple times. Syria remains the world’s largest displacement crisis, with 13.8 million displaced inside and outside the country.
“Behind these drastic and rising numbers lie countless human tragedies. This suffering must prompt the international community to act urgently and address the causes of displacement,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. “It is high time that the warring parties respect the fundamental provisions of the laws of war and international law as a whole. Without better cooperation and joint efforts to address conflict, human rights violations and the climate crisis, displacement rates will continue to rise, causing further suffering and costly humanitarian responses.”
The largest increase in numbers was recorded among the group of internally displaced persons. With around 68.3 million people fleeing conflict and remaining in their own country, there has been an increase of almost 50 percent in five years, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center.
The number of refugees and other persons in need of international protection has increased to 43.4 million (refugees under the mandate of UNHCR and UNRWA). The vast majority of refugees live in neighboring countries and around 75 percent are in low- and middle-income countries, i.e. in countries that together generate less than 20 percent of the world’s income.
The current report also contains new analyzes of the climate crisis and its disproportionate impact on displaced people.
There were some positive developments, according to “Global Trends Report“ in 2023 for return and resettlement: Last year, more than five million internally displaced people and one million refugees were able to return to their homeland worldwide. More people were also able to benefit from resettlement, the permanent resettlement of refugees in particular need of protection, in 2023, a total of almost 160,000.
“Refugees – and the societies that host them – need solidarity and support. They can contribute to society and do so when given the opportunity,” Grandi said. “Last year, millions of people returned to their homes, which is an important glimmer of hope. The solutions are on the table. We have seen countries like Kenya leading the way in refugee inclusion, but more such commitment is needed.”
120 million displaced people worldwide face incredible challenges – and UNHCR will continue to do everything we can to find solutions and new approaches for people who have lost their homes around the world.
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Mag.a Ruth Schöffl
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