UNHCR: number of people forced to flee wars and violence increased by 8% in 2021
The number of people who were forced to leave their homes and flee wars and violence to other countries increased by 8 percent in 2021 compared to 2020 – as stated by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), TASS reports
Experts note that every year more and more people are forced to leave their homes. However, last year their number reached the highest level ever recorded.
“By the end of 2021, those displaced by war, violence, persecution, and human rights abuses stood at 89.3 million, up 8 percent on a year earlier and well over double the figure of 10 years ago,” UNHCR’s annual Global Trends report said.
So, at the end of 2021, every 88th inhabitant of the Earth had to move to another country. According to the UNHCR report, last year, there were 27.1 million refugees in the world, 4.6 million people were forced to seek asylum. There were also 53.2 million internally displaced persons. The UNHCR singled out 4.4 million displaced Venezuelans who are currently receiving assistance as a separate category.
According to the report, Turkey, Uganda, Pakistan and Germany hosted the most refugees in 2021.
