The staggering number of military conflicts worldwide—including the most recent in Gaza—continues to rise, resulting in civilian deaths, devastation of cities and villages, along with millions of refugees and widespread famines and food shortages.
In a report released on 25 October, the UN refugee agency UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said the number of people displaced by war, persecution, violence and human rights violations globally is likely to have exceeded 114 million at the end of September.
The main drivers of forced displacement in the first half of 2023 were: war in Ukraine and conflicts in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Myanmar; a combination of drought, floods and insecurity in Somalia; and a prolonged humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, according to UNHCR’s Mid-Year Trends Report, which analyses forced displacement during the first six months of this year.
“The world’s focus now is—on the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. But globally, far too many conflicts are proliferating or escalating, shattering innocent lives and uprooting people,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.
“The international community’s inability to solve conflicts or prevent new ones is driving displacement and misery. We must look within, work together to end conflicts and allow refugees and other displaced people to return home or restart their lives.”
Meanwhile, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) says for the 50,000 pregnant women caught up in the conflict in Gaza, “life is fraught with fear, as attacks continue and health services collapse”.
In its statement, the UNHCR says by the end of June, 110 million people had been forcibly displaced worldwide, up 1.6 million from the end of 2022. – IDN-In Depth News
