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.
South Korea and the United States will cut short annual joint military drills to five days from 11 and scale back some field training, the allies said on Wednesday, after President Donald Trump ordered a substantial reduction in US participation.
At least 100 people were killed when a low-tech artisanal gold mine collapsed in the Central African Republic on Tuesday, a senior official at a local mining association said.
An Israeli airstrike killed nine Palestinians at a police station in Gaza on Wednesday, medics said, two days after US envoy Jared Kushner ended a trip to the region that failed to push forward Donald Trump's plan to end the war in the enclave.
Thai schools conducted active shooter drills on Wednesday, as authorities moved to strengthen security measures two weeks after a 14-year-old opened fire at a school and killed at least eight people.