The number forcibly displaced now exceeds 84 million globally as more flee in violence, insecurity and effects of climate change, said a new data released by the United Nations’ refugee agency, UNHCR, on Thursday.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) ‘s Mid-Year Trends report, covering the first six months of this year, revealed a surge from 82.4 million since December – largely due to internal displacement – with more people fleeing multiple active conflicts around the world, especially in Africa.
“Over the past decade, weather-related events triggered an average of 21.5 million new displacements each year – more than twice as many as displacements caused by conflict and violence,” the report noted.
The COVID-19 border restrictions have also caused to limit asylum access in many locations.
“The international community is failing to prevent violence, persecution and human rights violations, which continue to drive people from their homes”, said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.
Nearly 51 million people were forced to flee due to flaring conflict and violence around the world during the first half of this year, with most new displacements occurring in Africa.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) witnessed 1.3 million displacements, and Ethiopia, 1.2 million, the report detailed.
The violence in Myanmar and Afghanistan also saw an increase in the number-driven to leave home.
According to UNHCR, most new refugees came from just five countries: Central African Republic, 71,800; South Sudan, 61,700; Syria, 38,800; Afghanistan, 25,200; and Nigeria, 20,300.
Estimates pointed to “up to 16.9 million Afghans – nearly half of the country’s population – lacking enough food in the first quarter of 2021, including at least 5.5 million facing emergency levels of food deprivation.”
“The international community must redouble its efforts to make peace, and at the same time must ensure resources are available to displaced communities and their hosts,” warned the High Commissioner.
A lethal mix of conflict, COVID-19, poverty, food insecurity and the climate emergency has compounded the humanitarian plight of the displaced, most of whom are being hosted in developing regions.
“The effects of climate change are exacerbating existing vulnerabilities in many areas hosting the forcibly displaced,” said the High Commissioner.
“It is the communities and countries with the fewest resources that continue to shoulder the greatest burden in protecting and caring for the forcibly displaced, and they must be better supported by the rest of the international community,” said Grandi.
