Even by the standards of recent years, 2024 was a year of turmoil in which new conflicts erupted, existing crises seethed, and climate-fueled disasters multiplied. As a result, the number of people forced to flee their homes by conflict and persecution reached nearly 123 million by the end of June.
That number has undoubtedly risen further with the escalation of conflict in the Middle East and the hundreds of thousands who continue to flee violence in Sudan, Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and elsewhere. While new displacement is on the rise, millions of people are trapped in situations of prolonged exile – unable to safely return home but lacking the possibility to rebuild their lives in the places they have fled to. Solutions are urgently needed – solutions to end conflicts, but also solutions that would give refugees and other forcibly displaced people the chance to contribute to their new communities.
Below is a snapshot of some of the most critical situations that the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, has responded to in 2024, and some of the positive developments that emerged amid the upheaval. Continue reading.
