103 million people forcibly displaced worldwide: UNHCR

Geneva: The number of people forcibly displaced from their homes due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations and events seriously disturbing public order globally surged to 103 million in the first half of 2022, meaning that one in 77 people on Earth is forcibly displaced, the UNHCR said in Geneva.

This is an increase of 13.6 million, or 15 per cent, compared to the end of 2021, more than the entire population of Belgium, Burundi or Cuba, according to the latest report from UNHCR released on Friday.

According to the report, the total number of refugees and people in need of international protection worldwide rose by 24 per cent from 25.7 million at the end of 2021 to 32 million by mid-2022. At the end of June this year, more than half (56 per cent) of all refugees were Syrian, Venezuelan or Ukrainian.

In mid-2022, the report showed, Turkey hosted 3.7 million refugees, the largest refugee population worldwide. Colombia was second with 2.5 million and Germany third with 2.2 million refugees, followed by Pakistan and Uganda (1.5 million each), Xinhua news agency reported.

The UNHCR report also showed that the number of asylum-seekers waiting for a decision had climbed to 4.9 million by mid-2022 from 4.6 million at the end of 2021.

In the first half of this year, more than 9.6 million new displacements due to conflict and violence were reported. The vast majority were in Ukraine, which accounted for 74 per cent of all new internal displacements.

During the same period, significant displacements of people were also reported in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, as well as in Myanmar, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Mozambique and Congo.