Global peak in forced displacement amid funding gap
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported June 12 that forced displacement has doubled globally in the last decade, while "brutal" funding cuts mean a lack of resources to accommodate the increased number of displaced people dependent on the UNHCR for support. The agency said the increase has been "largely driven by protracted conflicts in Sudan, Myanmar and Ukraine," with a total of 123.2 million people displaced worldwide at the end of 2024.
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) made up the largest percentage of the displaced population. In particular, the conflict in Sudan has resulted in the "largest internal displacement crisis ever recorded," with 11.6 million IDPs present in the country.
The report did note one positive trend—the highest number of refugees being resettled in 40 years, with the return of 9.8 million people to their homes in 2024. The high number of resettled people was attributed to the end of conflicts in Syria and Afghanistan. A total of 9.8 million people returned home in 2024.
Alarmingly, however, the surge in displacement comes amid what the report called "brutal" funding cuts. The UNHCR warned that an increase in funding is necessary to prevent the endangerment of displaced people, as the majority of refugees are currently hosted in low and middle-income countries. Greater funding is particularly important in the context of increasing global instability, according to UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.
While international law provides specific protections for refugees through the 1951 Refugee Convention, including a right to non-discrimination and right to access to essential services, IDPs lack specific protection under international law. Although other international standards, including international humanitarian law and human rights law, protect IDPs, the lack of a specific legal framework for protecting IDPs can leave them particularly vulnerable in times of conflict.
From JURIST, June 12. Used with permission.
Note: The new figures represent a significant increase over the previous year's figure of 117 million, itself an historic high. The UNHCR counted 46.3 million officially registered as displaced as of the end of 2014.
UN: refugee numbers have dropped, but millions remain trapped
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) reported June 11 that, for the first time in a decade, global forced displacement decreased in 2025. However, the figures remain significantly high, as millions of people continue to endure prolonged exile and face dire humanitarian conditions without prospects for rebuilding their lives.
According to a report ordered by High Commissioner Barham Salih, the number of global refugees fell by three percent in 2025. The main factor behind this decline was the increase in the number of displaced people and refugees returning to their home countries, with high rates recorded in Afghanistan, Syria and Sudan.
At 14.7 million, returns of refugees and displaced persons reached their second-highest level in 60 years of record keeping. However, the agency warned that many of these returns occurred under pressure and in precarious conditions, violating national and international human rights standards.
Salih also noted a sharp drop in resettlement rates, highlighting a growing gap between available new homes and the needs of the 41.6 million global refugees.
Salih concluded: "Asylum and protection are lifesaving and not up for debate, but we cannot accept a future in which millions of refugees remain trapped for years or decades without realistic prospects of rebuilding their lives."
According to the UN, there were 117.3 million forcibly displaced people worldwide at the end of 2025, fleeing violence, human rights abuses, and armed conflicts. (Jurist)