The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), says the displacement of more than 100 million persons, from the war in Ukraine and other conflicts, calls for more action.
UNHCR further said the alarming figure should serve as a wake-up call to effectively tackle all causes of forced displacement in order to promote peace and ensure global development.
The organisation made the call on Tuesday, in a statement signed by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi.
“The number of people forced to flee conflicts and human rights violations, propelled by war in Ukraine and other deadly conflicts, crossed a milestone of 100 million for the first time on record.
“One hundred million is a stark figure; sobering and alarming in equal measure: it is a record that should never have been set.
“This must serve as a wake-up call to resolve and prevent destructive conflicts, end persecution, and address the underlying causes that force innocent people to flee their homes,” Grandi said.
The Commissioner quoted new data by UNHCR that the number of forcibly displaced people worldwide rose towards 90 million by the end of 2021.
He said that the development was propelled by new waves of violence, or protracted conflicts in countries such as Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Nigeria, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“In addition, the war in Ukraine has displaced eight million within the country this year, and more than six million refugee movements from Ukraine, have been registered.
“At over one per cent of the global population, the overall figure is equivalent to the 14th most populous country in the world.
“It includes refugees and asylum seekers, as well as the 53.2 million people displaced inside their borders by conflicts, according to a recent report from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC).
“The international response to people fleeing war in Ukraine has been overwhelmingly positive; compassion is alive and we need a similar mobilisation for all crises around the world.
“Ultimately, humanitarian aid is a palliative, not a cure.
“To reverse this trend, the only answer is peace and stability, so that innocent people are not forced to gamble between acute danger at home or precarious flight and exile,” Grandi added.
He further said that UNHCR would release its annual Global Trends Report on June 16, and outline full set of global, regional and national data on forced displacement for 2021.
Grandi, however, promised that there would be updates to April 2022, and details on returns and solutions. (NAN)
