An estimated 100 million people around the world have been “forcibly displaced,” according to the United Nations.
In a recently released statement from the U.N., the figure represents roughly 1 percent of the world’s population — equivalent to the 14th most populous country — and is the highest number of displaced individuals on record.
At the end of 2021, 90 million individuals had been displaced from their countries. Of those, 14.4 million people had been displaced within their country due to violence. Roughly 23.7 million people, primarily in the Asia-Pacific region, had been displaced internally because of natural disasters.
In 2022 so far, around 14 million individuals have been displaced due to Russia’ invasion of Ukraine.
“One hundred million is a stark figure — sobering and alarming in equal measure. It’s a record that should never have been set,” said U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi. “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 added that the international response to Ukraine refugees has been “overwhelmingly positive.”
“Compassion is alive, and we need a similar mobilization for all crises around the world,” Grani said. “But 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.”