UNHCR Report Points to Rise in Number of Forcibly Displaced Persons
UNHCR Report Points to Rise in Number of Forcibly Displaced Persons
War is rampant across large sections of the Middle East and Africa, amidst other parts of the world. A UNHCR report estimates that around 5.5 million persons have become uprooted in the first 6 months of 2014. This points to a rise in the number of forcibly displaced persons. The new Mid-Year Trends 2014 report released recently by the UNHCR has important implications for welfare services across the globe.
Displaced Within and Outside Nations
The new Mid-Year Trends 2014 report indicates that of the 5.5 million that were newly displaced, 1.4 million fled across global boundaries to become refugees while others were displaced within their own nations or IDPs. Taking into account all the existing displaced people as well as data revisions and voluntary returns as well as resettlements, currently 46.3 million people are being helped by UNHCR. Referred to as “People of Concern,” these people are 3.4 million more in number as against the figures reported towards the close of 2013. There is a fresh rise in the number of displaced persons.
Main Findings of the Report
The report has primarily found that Syrians have become the largest refugee population under UNHCR mandate. Palestinians in the Middle East fall under UNHCR’s affiliated organisation, UNRWA. Syrians refugees now exceed the number of Afghan refugees who have held this position for greater than 2 decades. Syrian refugees now number more than 3 million accounting for 23% of the refugees helped by UNHCR worldwide.
However, 2.7 million Afghan refugees remain the highest protracted refugee population under the care of this UN body. Protracted refugee situation has been defined as one that has prevailed for a minimum of 5 years. Following Syria and Afghanistan, leading countries of origin for the refugees are Somalia with 1.1 million refugees and Sudan with 670,000 refugees. Southern Sudan accounted for 509,000 refugees alone. Around 493,000 refugees were from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Myanmar had close to 480,000 refugees. Iraq accounted for 426,000 refugees.
Pakistan is home to 1.6 million Afghan refugees and it is the biggest host nation in absolute terms. Other nations with massive refugee populations include Lebanon at 1.1 million, Iran at 982,000, Turkey at 824,000, Jordan at 737,000, Ethiopia at 588,000, Kenya at 537,000 and Chad at 455,000. Via a comparison of the number of refugees as against the size of the country’s population or economy, the report by UNHCR pegs the contribution made by host nations as well. As per the size of their population, Lebanon and Jordan are home to some of the largest number of refugees in relation to the sizes of their economies. The burdens on Ethiopia and Pakistan are of the largest number.
Highest Number of Refugees Since 1996
All in all, the number of refugees as per the UNHCR mandate has reached 13 million at the middle of the year, which is the highest since the year 1996. The total number of internally displaced persons protected or assisted by the agency has reached 26 million. As UNHCR provides help for IDPs in nations where governments request their intervention, figures in the report are not indicative of internally displaced persons worldwide.
"In 2014 we have seen the number of people under our care grow to unprecedented levels. As long as the international community continues to fail to find political solutions to existing conflicts and to prevent new ones from starting, we will continue to have to deal with the dramatic humanitarian consequences," UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres has been quoted as saying, adding that "The economic, social and human cost of caring for refugees and the internally displaced is being borne mostly by poor communities, those who are least able to afford it. Enhanced international solidarity is a must if we want to avoid the risk of more and more vulnerable people being left without proper support.”
There has also been a regional shift in the distribution of the refugee population. Till the past year, the region holding the largest refugee population was Asia and the Pacific. Following the crisis in Syria, Middle East and North Africa have now become the regions which are home to the largest number of refugees.
UNHCR’s Mid-Year Trends 2014 report is based on governmental data as well as information from the worldwide offices of the organisation. The data this presents is a critical component of the international total and important indicator of worldwide refugee and IDP trends.
