The number of internally displaced persons in the world reached a record 108.4 million people – Kommersant

By the end of 2022, there were 108.4 million people globally displaced by war, persecution, violence, human rights violations or natural disasters. This is 19.1 million people more than a year earlier, and this is the most significant annual increase. These data are provided in the annual report UN Refugee Office. The department emphasizes that this year the number of internally displaced persons continues to grow – by May there were already 110 million people.

As UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi notes in the report, “These numbers show us that some people are too quick to resolve conflict and too slow to find solutions. The consequence is devastation, displacement and suffering for each of the millions of people forcibly driven from their homes.” The UN estimates that of the 108.4 million internally displaced people, 35.3 million in 2022 were refugees who fled their countries in search of safety. Another 62.5 million people, or 58% of the total, are internally displaced people. In addition, there are 5.4 million people seeking asylum in other countries and 5.2 million in need of international protection. Approximately 40% of all displaced persons are children under the age of 17.

52% of all displaced people are in just three countries – Syria, Ukraine and Afghanistan. The UN notes that the main reason for the displacement of the population last year was the military conflict on the territory of Ukraine. The number of Ukrainian refugees at the end of 2022 was 5.7 million, and this is the largest outflow of refugees since the Second World War. Another 5.9 million Ukrainians remain internally displaced persons.

At the end of 2022, Turkey (3.6 million), Iran (3.4 million), Colombia (2.5 million), Germany (2.1 million) and Pakistan (1.7 million) hosted the largest number of refugees. The United States received the largest number of new asylum applications last year at 730,400, almost four times more than in 2021. The UN stressed that there is “extraordinary hospitality for refugees” around the world. However, as Filippo Grandi stated, “much more international support and a more equitable distribution of responsibility are needed.”

Alena Miklashevskaya