The number of refugees worldwide has exceeded 122 million in 2024, surpassing last year’s figures, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
In a statement, Peter Ruhenstroth-Bauer, UNHCR’s National Director in Germany, described the figures as alarming, emphasising that behind every statistic is a person seeking safety and a future. He called for enhanced protection and opportunities for these individuals.
The annual report by UNHCR's German partner revealed that the global refugee population stood at 117.4 million in 2023. The increase was primarily attributed to the mass displacement caused by the civil war in Sudan.
The statement highlighted that over 11.8 million people have been forced to flee since violence escalated in Sudan in April 2023. It also noted that the situations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Myanmar have further contributed to the rise in refugee numbers.
Additionally, the conflict in Gaza and Lebanon has led to the forced displacement of more than 1.7 million people.
An explosive-laden car rammed into a Pakistani military convoy on Saturday in a town near the Afghan border, killing at least 13 soldiers, sources said.
Radiation levels in the Gulf region remain normal after the 12-day Israel-Iran conflict severely damaged several nuclear facilities in Iran, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said.
Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo signed a US-brokered peace agreement on Friday, raising hopes for an end to fighting that has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more this year.
The US Supreme Court on the last day of rulings for its current term gave Donald Trump his latest in a series of victories at the nation's top judicial body, one that may make it easier for him to implement contentious elements of his sweeping agenda as he tests the limits of presidential power.
Polish President Andrzej Duda arrived in Kyiv on Saturday for a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Duda's office said, as Kyiv aims to build support among allies at a critical juncture in its grinding war with Russia.