The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) stated that “more than 114 million people around the world were forced to flee their homes during the year 2023.”
This was mentioned in a post published by the UN organization on its account on the “X” platform.
The UN Refugee Agency added, “More than 114 million people were forced to flee their homes during 2023, and behind this alarming number are women, men, children, and families.”
It pointed out that “the number of forcibly displaced people in 2023 exceeded 114 million, compared to 51.2 million in 2013.” The agency emphasized that “the rise in the number of forcibly displaced people globally is primarily due to wars, persecution, violence, and human rights violations.”
The organization noted that “2024 must be the year of solutions for the refugee and internally displaced persons crisis.”
According to a previous report, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees stated, “The war in Ukraine and conflicts in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, and the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan are the main drivers of forced displacement in the first half of 2023.”
On October 25th last year, Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, stated in a press release published on the organization’s website, “The world’s focus is now on the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip, which makes sense, but conflicts around the world are increasing or escalating, devastating the lives of innocents and causing population displacements.
Recent global displacements have been significantly impacted by various factors. The wars in Ukraine and Sudan have been major contributors to this rise, forcing millions from their homes. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that the total number of refugees worldwide rose by 35% in 2022, driven by the conflict in Ukraine and revised estimates of Afghans in Iran and Pakistan. Turkey hosts the highest number of refugees globally, with 3.6 million refugees, over 10% of the total. Additionally, the conflict in Sudan triggered new outflows, contributing to the continued upward trajectory in global forced displacement in 2023.
Climate change also plays a crucial role in displacements. Extreme weather events, including heavy rainfall and droughts, have caused an average of more than 20 million people to leave their homes each year and move to other areas within their countries. Climate-induced migration, a result of climate-related disasters such as droughts leading to food and farming crises, is becoming one of the defining challenges worldwide. Regions like western and central Africa, frequently experiencing flooding and ongoing conflict, are particularly affected.
