Over 122 million forcibly displaced people by UNHCR, IDMC, NRC, agencies   20 June 2025   World Refugee Day, by Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees:   "Today is World Refugee Day – a day to honour the courage and resilience of millions of people around the globe forced to flee war, violence and persecution. But it is also a moment to sound an alarm on their behalf.   Record numbers of men, women and children – over 122 million people worldwide – have been uprooted from their homes, but their ability to find safety and support is threatened as never before.   The abject failure to end conflicts – from Sudan to Ukraine, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Gaza – continues to create untold human suffering. Yet the innocent people who run for their lives as the bullets fly and the missiles rain down are unjustly stigmatized, making it harder to escape danger and to find somewhere to recover and rebuild.   To make a desperate position worse, brutal cuts to humanitarian aid are choking off assistance, threatening the lives of millions of people who desperately need help.   At this critical juncture, it is vital that we reaffirm our solidarity with refugees – not just with words but with urgent action. Thankfully, there is no shortage of examples to inspire us: the countries on the edges of war zones that continue to welcome and host refugees; the local communities that open their homes, workplaces and hearts to displaced people; and the countless individual acts of kindness and compassion that reveal our common humanity.   In many cases, this support can be found among people with few resources to share, and in places facing major economic challenges. From wealthier states to development banks to businesses and many others, we can and must support these countries and communities by sharing the responsibility for protecting refugees. Such acts of solidarity would enable this generosity to continue.   Even in these turbulent times, there are moments of profound hope. This World Refugee Day, I am in Syria where, after 14 years of crisis and despair, two million people have already chosen to return to their homes and communities since the fall of the Assad regime last December. In a region that has suffered so much violence – and suffers even now – we are nonetheless presented with an opportunity to help Syrians achieve stability and prosperity. We must not let it pass by.   Today, I met Syrian families who have returned after more than a decade as refugees. Their deep joy at being among familiar faces and surroundings – despite the many challenges – is a poignant reminder of the yearning refugees feel for home.   Such moments are only made possible through solidarity: the solidarity shown by countries neighbouring Syria that provide a haven for people until they feel it is safe to return; the solidarity shown by Syrian communities who are welcoming their compatriots back after a long and painful absence; and the solidarity shown by my UNHCR colleagues and their local and international partners, who are here to support returning families and will remain by their side as they rebuild their homes and lives.   Now more than ever, we must stand with refugees to keep alive their hopes of a better future. This World Refugee Day and every day, governments, institutions, companies and individuals can prove that by helping those caught up in senseless conflicts, we move towards greater stability, humanity and justice for us all. If we do so, I can promise you that refugees will bring all their courage, spirit and ingenuity to the task of creating a better, brighter tomorrow."   June 2025   According to UNHCR’s annual Global Trends Report released today, there were 122.1 million forcibly displaced people by the end of April 2025, up from 120 million at the same time last year, representing around a decade of year-on-year increases in the number of refugees and others forced to flee their homes.   The main drivers of displacement remain large conflicts like Sudan, Myanmar and Ukraine, and the continued failure to stop the fighting.   Whether this trend continues or reverses during the rest of 2025 will largely depend on whether peace or at least a cessation in fighting is possible to achieve, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and Ukraine; whether the situation in South Sudan does not deteriorate further; whether conditions for return improve, in particular in Afghanistan and Syria; and how dire the impact of the current funding cuts will be on the capacity to address forced displacement situations around the world and create conducive conditions for a safe and dignified return.   Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said: “We are living in a time of intense volatility in international relations, with modern warfare creating a fragile, harrowing landscape marked by acute human suffering. We must redouble our efforts to search for peace and find long-lasting solutions for refugees and others forced to flee their homes.”   Forcibly displaced people include people displaced within their own country by conflict, which grew sharply by 6.3 million to 73.5 million at the end of 2024, and refugees fleeing their countries (42.7 million people).   Sudan became the world’s largest forced displacement situation with 14.3 million refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs), replacing Syria (13.5 million), and followed by Afghanistan (10.3 million) and Ukraine (8.8 million).   The report found that, contrary to widespread perceptions in wealthier regions, 67 per cent of refugees stay in neighbouring countries, with low and middle-income countries hosting 73 per cent of the world’s refugees. Indeed, 60 per cent of people forced to flee never leave their own country.   While the number of forcibly displaced people has almost doubled in the last decade, funding for UNHCR now stands at roughly the same level as in 2015 amid brutal and ongoing cuts to humanitarian aid. This situation is untenable, leaving refugees and others fleeing danger even more vulnerable.   UNHCR and the broader humanitarian community are facing detrimental funding cuts, that will severely impact millions of people globally.   Without sufficient funding, there will not be enough food assistance and basic shelter support for displaced people. Protection services, including safe spaces for refugee women and girls at risk of violence, are likely to be terminated. Communities that have generously hosted forcibly displaced people for years will be left without the support they need.   For the number of forcibly displaced people to reduce, meaningful progress is required on the root causes – conflict, disregard for the basic tenets of International Humanitarian Law, other forms of violence and persecution.   In the meantime, resources to meet urgent humanitarian needs, to support host countries, to protect people from the risks of dangerous onward movements and to help refugees and other forcibly displaced people find durable solutions are more essential than ever. The consequences of inaction will be borne by those who can least afford it.   http://www.unhcr.org/news/press-releases/number-people-uprooted-war-shocking-decade-high-levels-unhcr http://www.unhcr.org/global-trends http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/june/record-number-of-people-displaced-amid-funding-cuts http://www.unhcr.org/news/speeches-and-statements/statement-un-high-commissioner-refugees-filippo-grandi-security http://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/unhcr-funding-crunch-increases-risks-violence-danger-and-death-refugees http://www.wfp.org/news/refugees-kenya-risk-worsening-hunger-wfp-faces-critical-funding-shortfall http://www.wvi.org/publication/world-refugee-day/report-ration-cuts-2025   May 2025   The number of internally displaced people (IDPs) reached 83.4 million at the end of 2024, the highest figure ever recorded, according to the Global Report on Internal Displacement 2025 published today by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). This is equivalent to the population of Germany, and more than double the number from just six years ago.   “Internal displacement is where conflict, poverty and climate collide, hitting the most vulnerable the hardest,” said Alexandra Bilak, IDMC director. “These latest numbers prove that internal displacement is not just a humanitarian crisis; it’s a clear development and political challenge that requires far more attention than it currently receives.”   Nearly 90 per cent of IDPs, or 73.5 million people, were displaced by conflict and violence, an increase of 80 per cent in six years.   Ten countries had over 3 million IDPs from conflict and violence at the end of 2024, double the number from four years ago. Sudan alone hosted a record-breaking 11.6 million IDPs, the most ever recorded in a single country.   An additional 9.8 million people were living in internal displacement at the end of the year after being forced to flee by disasters, a 29 per cent increase over the previous year and more than double the number from just five years ago. Afghanistan (1.3 million) and Chad (1.2 million) together accounted for nearly a quarter of the total.   “Internal displacement rarely makes the headlines, but for those living it, the suffering can last for years. This year’s figures must act as a wake-up call for global solidarity. For how much longer will the number of people affected by internal displacement be allowed to grow and grow, as a result of a lack of ownership and leadership?” said Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council.   “Every time humanitarian funding gets cut, another displaced person loses access to food, medicine, safety and hope. Over the past year, I’ve met with internally displaced families in DR Congo, in Palestine, and in Sudan, and listened to them speak about the devastating impact of displacement on their lives and their hopes for the future. The lack of progress is both a policy failure and a moral stain on humanity. Now is the time for governments to show political will and financial investments for lasting solutions to displacement.”   In many situations, people had to flee multiple times throughout the year as areas of conflict shifted, increasing their vulnerabilities and impeding their efforts to rebuild their lives.   Together, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Palestine and Sudan reported 12.3 million internal displacements, or forced movements of people, in 2024, nearly 60 per cent of the global total for conflict displacements.   Disasters triggered 45.8 million internal displacements in 2024, the highest annual figure since IDMC began monitoring disaster displacements in 2008 and more than double the annual average of the past decade.   The United States (US) alone accounted for nearly a quarter of global disaster displacement and was one of 29 countries and territories to record their highest figures on record.   Weather-related events, many intensified by climate change, triggered 99.5 per cent of disaster displacements during the year. Cyclones, such as hurricanes Helene and Milton that struck the US, and typhoon Yagi that struck numerous countries in East Asia, triggered 54 per cent of movements linked to disasters. Floods triggered another 42 per cent, with major events on every continent, from Chad to Brazil, Afghanistan to the Philippines and across Europe.   Many disaster displacements were pre-emptive evacuations that saved lives in the US, the Philippines, Bangladesh and elsewhere, showing that displacement can be a positive coping mechanism in disaster-prone countries. Of the 163 countries and territories reporting disaster displacements last year, 53 reported pre-emptive evacuations, but incomplete data means the true number is likely higher. Available evidence shows that without adequate support even pre-emptively evacuated people can remain displaced for prolonged periods.   The number of countries reporting both conflict and disaster displacement has tripled since 2009. More than three-quarters of people internally displaced by conflict and violence as of the end of 2024 were living in countries with high or very high vulnerability to climate change. These overlapping crises erode people’s ability to recover and stretch government resources.   “The cost of inaction is rising, and displaced people are paying the price,” said Bilak. “The data is clear, it’s now time to use it to prevent displacement, support recovery, and build resilience. Resolving displacement requires both immediate efforts to help people who have lost everything and investments to address underlying vulnerabilities, so people don't become displaced in the first place.”   http://www.internal-displacement.org/news/number-of-internally-displaced-people-tops-80-million-for-first-time/   The world’s most neglected displacement crises 2024 (Norwegian Refugee Council)   In 2024, the number of people displaced across the globe surged to double what it was ten years ago. At the same time, humanitarian funding covered just half of the rising needs.   Shifting domestic priorities, economic uncertainty and political fatigue have led to severe cuts in support for people affected by crisis and displacement. The world is in transition. But we must not accept this abandonment as a foregone conclusion. Displacement isn’t a distant crisis; it’s a shared responsibility. We must stand up and demand change.   Each year, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) publishes a report of the ten most neglected displacement crises in the world. The purpose is to focus on the plight of people whose suffering rarely makes international headlines, who receive little or no assistance, and crises that never become the centre of attention for international diplomacy efforts.   On top of chronic underfunding, the countries appearing in our list struggled to gain meaningful media traction. The lack of headlines mirrors a broader failure of political will. While needs escalated, efforts to address the root causes of these crises stalled or were simply abandoned.   Humanitarian access remained heavily restricted in several contexts due to insecurity, bureaucratic barriers, and the absence of diplomatic engagement. Millions of displaced people remain unseen, unsupported, and increasingly unreachable.   Climate change is hitting the most vulnerable the hardest. It is displacing people from their homes, destroying fragile livelihoods, and pushing communities already on the brink into even worse conditions. Prolonged droughts, erratic rainfall and increasingly frequent disasters are not only uprooting lives but also eroding food systems.   Crops are failing while the ground floods, livestock is dying under merciless heat, and access to water is becoming more unpredictable. Food insecurity has become one of the most devastating and immediate consequences of the climate crisis for displaced people.   As the world turns inward and humanitarian budgets shrink, the needs of people who have been displaced are growing louder, not quieter. The systems meant to respond are no longer fit for purpose, and our approach to crisis must evolve too.   In a world reshaping itself politically, economically and environmentally, this is a moment for us all to confront the structural failures driving neglect – to demand accountability and build a response that matches the rapid change.   If we choose to act, to invest, and to stand in solidarity, we can build a future where no-one is left behind. What we do this year will be remembered.   http://www.nrc.no/feature/2025/the-worlds-most-neglected-displacement-crises-in-2024/ http://www.nrc.no/longreads Visit the related web page
	Despite the unanimous commitment to end atrocity crimes, such crimes have increased around the world by Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect   The United Nations Secretary-General has issued the 17th report on the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) titled “Responsibility to Protect: 20 years of commitment to principled and collective action.”   As the international community marks two decades since the adoption of Responsibility to Protect (R2P) at the 2005 World Summit, the Secretary-General reflects on a troubling trend: despite the unanimous commitment to end atrocity crimes, such crimes have increased around the world, exposing a persistent gap between promises and meaningful action, particularly in the world’s gravest cases.   The Secretary-General issues a stark warning, noting that continued failures to protect populations – despite our improved understanding of risk factors and enhanced capacity for response – denote a deeper, alarming challenge to mobilizing response.   To address these challenges, the Secretary-General emphasizes the urgent need for renewed strategic investment and consistent, collective international action, offering concrete recommendations to more effectively implement R2P’s three pillars moving forward.   The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect would like to highlight the following key points from the report:   The pattern of state and non-state actors acting with blatant and systematic disregard for International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and International Human Rights Law (IHRL) continues to expand exponentially.   Such violations and abuses of IHL and IHRL may constitute genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and/or ethnic cleansing or enable the commission of these crimes. Civilians are bearing the brunt of these abuses, with violence against civilians now reaching its highest level since 2015.   The profound change to the global peace and security landscape, including intensifying threats such as climate change, the weaponization of new technologies, misinformation and disinformation, growing inequality, shrinking civic space and the deterioration of human rights and the rule of law in many parts of the world is shaping the character and dynamics of atrocity crimes today.   Selective practices, double standards and failures to take concerted action in response to early warning information further inhibit the capacity to consistently prevent these crimes.   These patterns of abuses notwithstanding, in the last two decades, considerable progress has been made in capacities to prevent and respond to atrocities at the national, regional and multilateral levels and in the conceptual development and understanding of R2P.   To understand the holistic impact of these measures, states must examine efforts explicitly conducted under the aegis of R2P alongside complementary actions taken as part of their IHL obligations and the promotion and protection of human rights.   To address new and emerging threats, the international community will need to ensure that as they uphold principles agreed to in new agendas – such as the Global Digital Compact and the Pact for the Future – they concurrently utilize the lens of implementing R2P.   Civil society organizations, like the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, play a key role in advancing atrocity prevention at the national, regional and global levels.   Engaging with international civil society and local organizations who work with at-risk communities is essential in detecting early warning signs of atrocity crimes and supporting the development of long-term prevention strategies.   The Secretary-General highlights three main areas for action to strengthen the international response to the risk of atrocity crimes:   (1) prioritize the development of permanent preventive mechanisms at the national level; (2) share experiences and lessons learned on prevention and strengthen relations between national and regional entities in regional consultations; and (3) explore the development of strategic and technical guidance on implementing the responsibility to protect at the domestic, regional and multilateral levels.   SECTION II. Global context and emerging patterns of atrocity crimes   In this section, the Secretary-General contextualizes the patterns and impact of atrocity crimes across current global trends.   This section underscores that the rising occurrence of atrocity crimes and the persistence of impunity signal a concerning erosion of compliance with legal obligations and international norms.   The Secretary-General emphasizes that, although the formal determination of mass atrocity crimes rests with national and international courts, early warning and credible allegations too often fail to prompt timely and effective preventive or protective action.   Historic number of global conflicts characterized by atrocity crimes   Over the past two decades, there has been a historic increase in violent conflicts not seen since World War II, with a significant rise in crises that are characterized by atrocity crimes.   Across many countries, fundamental rights and freedoms are being eroded, with growing instances of repression and persecution against populations based on national, ethnic, racial and religious identity, or on actual and perceived political ideology.   The Secretary-General acknowledges several ongoing crises where civilians are bearing the brunt of violations of international law that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, including in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), Myanmar, Sudan, Ukraine and Yemen.   Inter-state conflicts involving regional and international actors are playing an increasingly prominent role in today’s global peace and security landscape.   The Secretary-General underscores despite clear violations of international law, in some cases certain UN member states continue to provide financial and military support or actively weaken institutions responsible for ensuring accountability.   While many countries are pursuing sustainable resolutions to conflicts, the Secretary-General warned of the consequences of Security Council (UNSC) paralysis – due to the frequency of the use or threat of the veto by the Permanent Members – fueling perceptions of double standards and undermining effective international action.   Humanitarian impact of conflict   Recent armed conflicts are increasingly marked by blatant violations of core principles of IHL — such as distinction, proportionality and precaution – leading to a heightened risk of atrocity crimes.   The report highlights how large-scale conflicts in the Greak Lakes region, Lake Chad Basin, the Sahel, Sudan, Ukraine, Myanmar and elsewhere have resulted in significant civilian casualties.   These deaths often result from indiscriminate or identity-based attacks. Beyond loss of life, the destruction of civilian infrastructure has led to mass displacement.   The report notes that the number of forcibly displaced people has grown dramatically – from 37 million in 2005 to a record 123 million by October 2024.   These populations, especially vulnerable groups such as minority groups, people with disabilities and the elderly, face grave protection risks, including violence, disappearances, torture, forced recruitment and gender-based violence – some of which may amount to atrocity crimes.   The use of counter-terrorism measures, along with the involvement of mercenaries and private military contractors, has worsened human rights abuses in some areas. These actions frequently allow perpetrators to sidestep accountability, deepening impunity and normalizing such violations.   Access to humanitarian assistance and attacks against humanitarian workers   The report discusses the severe restrictions on humanitarian access in conflict zones, as well as attacks on humanitarian workers, exacerbating the suffering of civilian populations.   Although the UNSC has condemned the use of starvation as a method of warfare and emphasized the legal obligation to ensure civilian access to aid, in 2024 blockades and restricted access to essential goods significantly affected civilians in the OPT, North Darfur, Syria and Yemen, resulting in acute food insecurity. The intentional destruction of health facilities and targeted attacks on medical workers result in tremendous human suffering and potential mass atrocity crimes.   The Secretary-General underscores that deliberate attacks on medical facilities and personnel protected under IHL constitute war crimes.   Use of explosive weapons and new technologies in populated areas   Parties to conflicts are increasingly using methods and means of warfare that show a blatant disregard for human life, in clear violation of international law and treaty obligations.   This trend includes the widespread use of explosive weapons in populated areas – such as aerial bombardments, missile strikes and improvised explosive devices – and deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure.   The indiscriminate use of such weapons is the primary cause of civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian objects.   The Secretary-General expresses growing concern over the expanding use of artificial intelligence and new technologies, warning that these technologies can obscure accountability, lower the threshold for the use of force and may amplify the scale of atrocity crimes without proper safeguards.   Atrocity crimes in non-armed conflict contexts   Atrocity crimes often arise from deeply rooted injustices, human rights abuses and exclusionary practices that, if ignored, can escalate into collective violence. Fragile states are particularly vulnerable to such violence, with the suppression of civil and political rights a potential early warning sign.   Atrocity risks are further heightened in contexts facing governance breakdown, political instability or democratic backsliding.   The Secretary-General highlights alarming trends, including increased attacks on journalists, the rise of racism and hate speech targeting minority groups and the manipulation of technology and social media to spread harmful ideologies, dehumanization and incitement – factors that significantly raise the risk of atrocity crimes.   Discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity, along with restrictions on freedoms of expression, assembly and association, contribute to an atmosphere of fear and self-censorship.   These factors increase the risk of identity-based atrocity crimes. Indigenous Peoples face heightened risks due to ongoing legacies of violence, displacement and discrimination, despite legal protections.   The Secretary-General asserts that promoting diversity and protecting minority and Indigenous Peoples’ rights, along with broader civil, political, economic and cultural rights, is essential to building societal resilience and preventing atrocity crimes. The protection of civic space, freedom of expression and democratic governance is crucial.   SECTION III. Fulfilling the objectives of the responsibility to protect: good practices and lessons learned, 2005–2025   Despite persistent challenges, the Secretary-General acknowledges various national, regional and multilateral efforts that have supported the implementation of R2P. This section highlights progress made in areas of prevention, protection and accountability since R2P’s adoption..   http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/summary-2025-report/ Visit the related web page
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