United Nations: Refugee Numbers Hit Record High In 2019

DW: Refugee numbers hit record high in 2019: UN report

Around 79.5 million people were displaced last year, more than ever before, the United Nations has revealed. And displaced people are finding it even harder to return to their home countries.

The number of people fleeing war and persecution rose to a record 79.5 million in 2019, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said Thursday.

That figure represents "approximately 1% of the world population," said agency chief Filippo Grandi.

Figures in detail

The UN's refugee agency published its annual report, revealing that:

* The number of refugees rose by 9 million from the previous year
* Syrians, Venezuelans, Afghans, South Sudanese, and stateless Rohingya are worst-affected
* Some 73% of refugees seek asylum in a neighboring country
* Fewer than 400,000 refugees returned home over the past decade, down from an average of 1.5 million in the 1990s.

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More News On World Refugee Numbers Hitting A Record High In 2019

1 per cent of humanity displaced: UNHCR Global Trends report -- UNHCR
UN refugee chief laments nearly 80 million people forcibly displaced -- UN News
Over one percent of humanity displaced: UN -- AFP
UN: 1% of all humanity on the move as refugee numbers rise -- Euronews/AP
Forcibly displaced now account for 1% of humanity – UN report -- The Guardian

UNHCR

More Than Seven Million Refugees Displaced In 2012 - UN -- BBC

The UN says 7.6 million people became refugees in 2012, with the total number now higher than at any time since 1994.

A report from the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says that Syria is "a major new factor" driving up refugee numbers.

The report say 55% of all refugees come from five countries: Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Sudan and Syria.

It also found that developing countries now hosted 81% of the world's refugees, 11% more than a decade ago.

"These truly are alarming numbers. They reflect individual suffering on a huge scale and they reflect the difficulties of the international community in preventing conflicts and promoting timely solutions for them," said UNHCR chief Antonio Guterres.

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More News On The World's Growing Refugee Crisis

New UNHCR report says global forced displacement at 18-year high -- UNHCR
Syria pushes global refugee numbers to highest since 1994 -- Alertnet
World refugee increase is highest since 1999, UNHCR report shows -- The Guardian
New refugees numbers rising - UN report -- Herald Sun
UN reports highest level of refugees since 1994 as Canada tightens policy -- Global Post/Canadian Press
Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia conflicts creating more refugees: UNHCR -- The Australian
UNHCR 2012 refugee statistics: full data -- The Guardian