Tag Archives: displacement

Rising hunger and displacement pose growing economic risk, UN tells Davos

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The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has reported that an estimated 318 million people worldwide now face crisis levels of hunger or worse, with hundreds of thousands already experiencing famine-like conditions.

It cautioned that deep funding shortfalls are forcing it to cut rations and scale back assistance at a time of surging needs.

Current forecasts put WFP’s funding at just under half of its required $13 billion budget for 2026, leaving the agency able to reach about 110 million people – a third of those in need.

Combatting hunger yields dividends

“Hunger drives displacement, conflict, and instability and these not only threaten lives, but disrupt the very markets that businesses depend on,” said Rania Dagash-Kamara, WFP Assistant Executive Director for Partnerships and Innovation.

“The world cannot build stable markets on a foundation of 318 million hungry people.”

Ms. Dagash-Kamara, who is attending the forum, said the private sector has a direct stake in addressing food insecurity, calling on companies to invest in supply chains, technology and innovation that can help stabilize fragile markets and protect workforces.

WFP is urging business leaders in Davos to keep hunger and food security among their top priorities, invest in supply chain systems that strengthen fragile markets, and support food-related technologies that improve efficiency and resilience.

Displaced families in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, receive food aid. (file photo)

Migration powers growth and development

The UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) is also taking its case to the annual forum in Switzerland, calling on political and business leaders to rethink migration as a driver of growth rather than a burden.

“Migration is one of the most powerful drivers of development when managed responsibly,” said IOM Director General Amy Pope.

“Mobility can unlock economic potential, help communities thrive independently, and provide lasting solutions to displacement, while respecting national sovereignty and human rights.”

Partnerships and innovation

IOM said partnerships with private companies and foundations are already helping realise that approach.  

This includes using artificial intelligence to improve health screening and labour market policies, and programmes that support vocational training, entrepreneurship and durable solutions for displaced people.

At Davos, the agency is also highlighting the role of diaspora communities as investors and innovators.

“By using remittances and diaspora capital to support business creation and digital financial access, IOM aims to open new markets and create jobs, while helping communities become more self-reliant,” the agency said.

Other senior UN officials attending the forum include President of the General Assembly Annalena Baerbock; WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus; Alexander De Croo, Administrator of the UN Development Programme; UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih; and Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

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From Haiti to Ethiopia: voices of climate displacement at COP30

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At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) is pressing negotiators to make climate mobility a core part of adaptation plans.

“People and communities who choose to stay must be safe, and those who decide to move must have the option to do so with dignity,” Ugochi Daniels, IOM’s Deputy Director General said on Thursday.

Across 80 countries, IOM runs projects that put local communities in charge of solutions. Ms. Daniels hopes COP30 will be “a turning point to place human mobility as a key area of climate action,” especially in national adaptation plans and financing for loss and damage.

‘Ten seconds that changed my life forever’

For Robert Montinard from Haiti, this debate is personal. The 2010 earthquake lasted just 10 seconds, but shattered lives for generations. Seeking safety, he fled to Brazil as a refugee. Today, he leads the Mawon Association, helping others rebuild far from home.

At COP30, Robert insists on one thing: refugee voices must be heard.

“We want to be part of the solution. We want migrants and refugees to be heard. Those affected by the consequences of climate change – refugees, Indigenous Peoples, Black communities, women – have the solutions,” he said.

This week, Robert handed a proposal to Brazil’s First Lady, Rosângela Janja da Silva, and Environment Minister Marina Silva. It calls for municipal climate councils, action against environmental racism, and community brigades to respond to disasters.

He calls Haiti’s plight “climate injustice.” The same hurricanes that strike Florida, he said, leave destruction behind in his homeland – but while the US rebuilds swiftly, buildings ruined in Haiti’s 2010 quake still lie in rubble.

A crisis feeding conflict in Ethiopia

From another corner of the Global South, Makebib Tadesse sees the same pattern in Ethiopia, where climate pressures are intensifying conflicts over land and resources.

He described a “continuous cycle of violence and displacement” as food and water grow scarce. In northern Ethiopia, where he was born, the impact of climate change now rivals – or even surpasses – the devastation of the civil war from 1974 to 1991.

“Climate change is pushing people out of Ethiopia in ways we’ve never,” he said.

Both Robert and Makebib are part of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) delegation at COP30, alongside Venezuelan Indigenous leader Gardenia Warao.

‘Brazil’s openness to refugees should be celebrated’

Giving voice to their message is Alfonso Herrera, Mexican actor and Latin America Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, formally known as the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

“The voices of refugees have been silenced — and they must be heard,” he told UN News.

Mr. Herrera has traveled across the region – from Mexico to Venezuela, Honduras and El Salvador -witnessing the human cost of climate displacement and the UN’s efforts to restore hope through education and legal support.

He believes Brazil’s openness to welcome refugees deserves recognition, especially “when so many other countries take the completely opposite attitude.”

As COP30 debates how to adapt to a changing planet, displaced people remind the world that climate action is not just about saving ecosystems – it’s about protecting lives, preserving dignity, and ensuring no one is left behind by the rising tide.

UN News is reporting from Belém, bringing you front-row coverage of everything unfolding at COP30.

Sudan: Intensifying hostilities bring new displacement, more casualties

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Hostilities have been intensifying between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and two armed groups – the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia that has been battling the military government for control since April 2023 and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North.

Over the weekend, drone attacks targeted a UN base killing six peacekeepers from the UNIFSA mission, while another six people were killed in a hospital attack in South Kordofan State, according to initial information from the UN human rights office (OHCHR).

Meanwhile, OCHA said artillery shelling was reported on Monday, posing further threats to civilians.

“I urge all parties to the conflict and States with influence to ensure an immediate ceasefire and to prevent atrocities,” said UN human rights chief Volker Türk in a statement.

Mr. Türk also cautioned that medical facilities are protected under international humanitarian law.

New displacement

The UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that more than 1,700 people were displaced between Thursday and Saturday from multiple towns in South Kordofan.

Meanwhile, in North Darfur State, displacement continues to rise from the besieged El Fasher into Tawila, where the UN is delivering emergency aid.

More than 25,000 people in Twila have been registered since late October, after fleeing along insecure routes where they face extreme danger.

Despite severe access and logistical constraints, the World Food Programme (WFP) assisted about half a million people in Tawila in November and has consistently reached some 2 million people every month across the Darfur region.

Attacks against peacekeepers

Providing an update at Tuesday’s noon briefing in New York, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said that the wounded peacekeepers who underwent lifesaving surgery in Kadugli, Sudan, were evacuated to the UN mission headquarters in the disputed Abyei region on Tuesday morning.

Other injured personnel were also evacuated there, and four of them have since been sent to Nairobi, Kenya, for further medical treatment.

The remains of the six fallen soldiers have been transported to Entebbe, Uganda, and arrangements are underway for their repatriation to Bangladesh.

Mr. Haq underscored that “attacks targeting United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law and call for accountability.”

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Gaza City: Daily bombardment, more displacement amid escalating military offensive

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UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said people are once again on the move after Israel placed the entire city under displacement orders. Aid partners recorded more than 25,000 displacements between Sunday through Wednesday.

Some critical services have already been suspended while some humanitarian facilities have suffered severe damage, disrupting operations and the delivery of essential services.

Aid partners suspend activities

“Our partners working on health, report that some of them have had to suspend activities at primary healthcare centres, while partners working on nutrition say that 12 out of 49 outpatient therapeutic sites have halted services amid the ongoing airstrikes in Gaza City,” he said,

At least two community kitchens have also suspended operations, and three others have had to relocate within the city.

Furthermore, UN partners working on education are concerned that 95 temporary learning sites in northern Gaza serving about 25,000 children may be at imminent risk of closure due to displacement orders and ongoing insecurity.

Child malnutrition worsens

UN child rights agency UNICEF has also warned that child malnutrition in the Gaza Strip continues to worsen at an alarming rate. 

The percentage of children identified as acutely malnourished increased to 13.5 per cent in August, from 8.3 per cent in July – or 12,800 boys and girls.

Mr. Dujarric said UNICEF has been working to scale up the entry of essential nutrition supplies and distribute them, alongside nutrition partners, at about 140 sites across the Gaza Strip.

“While stocks of ready-to-use therapeutic food have recently increased, the current quantities of other critical nutrition supplies for infants and pregnant and breastfeeding women are wholly insufficient,” he said.

Meanwhile, almost half of all functioning hospitals are located in Gaza City, including half of all intensive care unit beds for the entire Gaza Strip, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

With the Israeli offensive already underway, the Gaza Strip cannot afford to lose any of these remaining facilities, the UN agency said.

Impediments to aid delivery continue

These developments are happening as delays and impediments to humanitarian movements inside Gaza continue.

Missions still take long hours to complete, even when they are approved in advance by the Israeli authorities, meaning that teams have no choice but to wait on roads that are often dangerous or congested.

Additionally, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has recently observed an increase in denials of the participation of Palestinian staff in missions, including both drivers and personnel.

Mr. Dujarric noted that denials are often communicated at the last minute, resulting in operational delays as alternatives must be quickly identified.

“What we need is full facilitation of the work and movement of humanitarian actors into and throughout the Gaza Strip. This must include unimpeded access to the north and to the south alike,” he said, adding that “every delay can cost lives.” 

‘Wars, disasters, displacement, hunger’ continue to burden Myanmar

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Four years after the military coup which deposed the democratically elected government, Myanmar’s civil conflict grinds on, leaving millions displaced and without a home.

“The suffering of millions of people across Myanmar is immense,” said UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi. “With aerial bombardments, destruction of property, and forced recruitment, they live in daily fear for their lives.”

He added that “civilian men, women and children must be protected from violence, and solutions found so that they can choose to return home in safety and dignity.”

Many crises in need of response

A brutal civil war is not all Myanmar has to face.

In March, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit the country affecting multiple regions including the capital, Nay Pyi Taw. The UN relief chief Tom Fletcher said then on X that the humanitarian response “has been hampered by lack of funding.”

Mr. Grandi, who visited the affected communities earlier this year, urged wider humanitarian access and discussed solutions for the forcibly displaced.

“Millions of people forcibly displaced within the country and as refugees throughout the region, want nothing more than to be able to return home. They demand – and are entitled to – the safety and security that comes with peace.” Mr. Grandi said.

Homes destroyed

Thousands of people also had their homes destroyed after floods swept through many regions in July.

“Wars, disasters, displacement, hunger: the forgotten plight of so many people in Myanmar, like the Rohingya, never ends,” Mr. Grandi said in a post on X.

In the last year and a half, 150,000 Rohingya, a mainly Muslim minority in the majority Buddhist country, have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh. This marks the largest exodus to the country since 2017, when 750,000 Rohingya sought refuge from the violence in Rakhine state.

A call for solutions

UNHCR works with other UN agencies, NGO partners and communities in Myanmar to address the basic needs, physical safety and well-being of forcibly displaced and stateless people.

But many communities still suffer from lack of access to vital aid. This year’s UN response plan for Myanmar is currently only funded at 22 per cent.

Later this month in New York, Mr. Grandi will attend a high-level conference on the Rohingya and other minorities in Myanmar, calling for greater regional and international efforts to address the crisis.

“All parties – with the support of the international community – must engage seriously to find solutions to their plight. This is particularly needed for the Rohingya, who have not only been attacked and displaced, but deprived of their basic rights for far too long,” the UNHCR chief said.

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UN refugee agency urges support to end displacement for millions of Syrians

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That’s the message from Kelly Clements, Deputy High Commissioner with the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, speaking on Tuesday after concluding a five-day visit to Lebanon and Syria.

“The international community cannot afford to be mere observers, assessing and judging the developments in Syria,” she said.

“They must take an active role supporting stabilization and recovery efforts, helping Syrians rebuild and reshape their country.”

Homeward bound

More than 1.2 million people have returned to Syria since the fall of the Assad regime last December.  Roughly 850,000 have crossed back from Lebanon and elsewhere in the region.

UNHCR has scaled up support to those choosing to return, including by providing money and transportation, to ensure the process is dignified and sustainable. 

Meanwhile, returns continue inside Syria, with more than 1.7 million internally displaced people (IDPs), including just over 880,000 individuals who have departed from IDP sites in the north.

Commitment to cooperate

During her visit, Ms. Clements met with top government officials, refugees who have recently returned to Syria, and newly arrived refugees in Lebanon. 

In meetings with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and other cabinet members, she expressed appreciation for continued generosity in hosting Syrian refugees and committed to further cooperation in supporting voluntary returns.

Since January, nearly 200,000 Syrian refugees have returned from Lebanon. Many more have indicated that they plan to follow in the coming months, especially after the authorities waived exit fees for those who overstayed their residency.

Ms. Clements also met a group of Syrian refugees who arrived in Lebanon in the past few months after fleeing recent violence back home.  

“It’s been a dynamic period where we see both Syrians returning, but also others becoming newly displaced,” she said. 

“We count on the international community to continue supporting Lebanon and UNHCR’s work here,” she added.  “Millions of Syrian refugees are still in neighbouring countries, and the world must not forget about them.”

Return and rebuild

In Syria, Ms. Clements met with Social Affairs Minister Hind Kabawat as well as the governors of Homs and Idleb. She also spoke to recently returned refugees who shared their hopes to rebuild their lives and their country. 

“I saw up-close how people have preserved their will to return, stay and rebuild despite the harsh reality of destruction and lack of services following 14 years of war,” she said. 

 UNHCR and partners have expanded support to areas in Syria that are seeing high numbers of returns. 

Ms. Clements visited rural Damascus and met returnees who received shelter assistance and support to start small businesses. She also helped inaugurate a newly habilitated civil registry office in Idleb governorate, which the agency supported.

She stressed that UNHCR and partners are on the ground in Syria doing their part, “but there is so much more to be done and the international community’s commitment to support such efforts is critical.” 

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Record starvation and malnutrition in Gaza; more West Bank displacement

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That warning comes from the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in a tweet posted on Tuesday, calling for more aid to be allowed into the enclave by Israeli authorities. 

Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported that five people died over the past 24 hours due to malnutrition and starvation, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest update.

This brings the total number of malnutrition-related deaths to 227, including 103 children, since October 2023.  

Still not enough aid

Humanitarians continue to decry the low level of supplies entering Gaza, which remains a fraction of what is needed to meet the immense needs of the roughly 2.1 million people living there.

One third of the population is not eating for days on end, and half a million are on the brink of starvation, WFP emphasised.

The agency is calling for at least 100 trucks a day to be allowed into Gaza, much faster approvals and clearances, and for no armed presence or shooting near humanitarian convoys and food distribution sites, among other measures.

Humanitarian missions face obstructions

Although the UN and partners continue to do everything possible to bring assistance in, humanitarian movements still face significant delays and other challenges. 

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric outlined the situation for journalists attending the regular media briefing at Headquarters in New York. 

He said on Monday humanitarians had formally asked Israel to coordinate 16 missions – including the collection of food, medical supplies and fuel – from the Kerem Shalom and Zikim border crossings, the only two aid corridors in operation.

Other missions involved moving goods and personnel within Gaza, from south to north and within the southern part of the Strip. 

‘Precious time’ wasted

“Out of the 16 missions, four were facilitated and three were denied; another four were impeded but eventually were fully accomplished,” he said.

Of the remaining missions, two were cancelled by the respective organizations and two more that involved collection of food and health supplies from the Kerem Shalom crossing were impeded and unable to be completed.  Another mission was impeded but was still ongoing.

“Efforts to coordinate humanitarian movements often drag on for hours due to unpredictable clearances by the Israeli authorities, wasting precious time,” he added. 

West Bank unrest

OCHA also updated on the situation in the occupied West Bank, where another Palestinian Bedouin community was displaced on Monday due to violence by Israeli forces and settlers. 

Israeli forces raided the community of Ein Ayoub in Ramallah governorate and ordered the immediate eviction of its roughly 100 Palestinian residents.

Many of these people have no alternative means of shelter, OCHA said. 

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World News in Brief: Hunger in the English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean, climate and displacement crisis in Somalia, World Breastfeeding Week

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Across the region, nations face food-related challenges notably due to geographical remoteness, lack of local available resources and exposure to climate change. 

“The Caribbean is particularly vulnerable to natural hazards and supply chain disruptions, which can cause increases in food prices,” said, Brian Bogart. head of WFP for the region.

“It’s deeply concerning that many people are struggling to afford the food they need,” he said. 

Supply chain challenges

Rising food prices are a major concern for the region, with food inflation consistently outpacing overall inflation rates, with local production efforts challenged by increasing operational costs. 

In 2025, 30 per cent of Caribbean people reported eating less than usual, a trend notably triggered by increased food costs and global geopolitical factors.

As the region significantly relies on imported agricultural inputs, “strengthening and diversifying supply chains and trade routes across the region is essential,” said Mr. Bogart. 

He added that in a region particularly impacted by climate disasters, “these efforts will help make food more accessible and affordable while supporting faster recovery in times of crisis.” 

A girl moves a container full of water at a site for displaced people in Dolow, Somalia. (file)

UN migration agency highlights deepening climate and displacement crisis in Somalia

Climate shocks and mass displacement caused by conflict have uprooted some 3.6 million people in Somalia, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). 

Almost half the population has been impacted by the climate crisis, the UN agency added.

IOM Deputy Director General Ugochi Daniels concluded a four-day visit to Somalia this week where she expressed solidarity for communities who continue to endure relentless droughts, floods and conflict.

Ms. Daniels also noted that communities are finding solutions to withstand the worst impacts of the climate crisis, but they need international support from the Green Climate Fund urgently.

IOM is active across Somalia in displacement sites and in rural and other fragile areas. Its work includes promoting land restoration and so-called “environmental peacebuilding”, which aims to reduce tensions over shared resources.

Another IOM initiative encourages Somalis to invest in their own development by providing additional funding.

Last year, communities contributed more than half a million dollars toward projects such as solar energy, clean water access and small-scale farming – investments all matched by more than $2 million from IOM. 

World Breastfeeding Week: Invest in health systems and policies to benefit mums and babies

This Friday (1 August) marks the start of World Breastfeeding Week and this year’s theme calls for investing in health systems as well as policies, laws and programmes that prioritize women, babies and breastfeeding.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said investing in breastfeeding support is one of the most powerful tools policy-makers have to improve public health, strengthen economies, and secure the well-being of future generations.

The UN agency explained that breastfeeding protects child health and improves survival, especially in the first months of life.  For infants, breastmilk is more than food: it also provides protection against many common illnesses like diarrhoea, pneumonia and infections.

Mothers also benefit as breastfeeding reduces the risk of postpartum haemorrhage, as well as breast and ovarian cancers, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

WHO urges governments to allocate dedicated funding for breastfeeding support, including for when new mums come home, along with maternity protections like paid leave after giving birth. 

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World News in Brief: First UN mission to Syria’s Sweida, fresh displacement in Haiti, new lightning record

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The team went to Sweida City, as well as two districts – Shahba and Salkhad – where they met with local community representatives and partners, in addition to visiting displacement sites and reception centres. 

Members also conducted assessments in the three districts of the governorate, where hundreds of people have been killed, and some 175,000 people displaced, in recent sectarian violence amid Syria’s ongoing political transition since the fall of the Assad regime last December.

A senior UN official told the Security Council earlier this week that a fragile ceasefire is “largely holding”.

More aid delivered

OCHA said a fifth humanitarian aid convoy organized by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent also arrived in Sweida on Thursday. It was the largest so far, with 40 trucks.

The convoy, which included UN assistance, delivered medical supplies, flour, fuel, canned goods, hygiene kits and shelter materials, among other assistance. 

On Wednesday, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent also delivered four tankers carrying more than 120,000 litres of fuel.

Haiti: Armed groups expand activities

Armed groups in Haiti are expanding their presence and activities in the Artibonite region which has sparked waves of displacement, according to OCHA. 

Last Monday, violence linked to armed groups flared in the town of Liancourt, where a vehicle and several homes were set on fire. This followed a week of violent clashes.

As of 19 July, nearly 15,000 people have been displaced across four communes in Artibonite. They are staying with host families, many of whom were already finding it hard to meet basic needs.

OCHA said response efforts are underway, led by local humanitarian partners. They have distributed hygiene kits to more than 500 displaced households and host communities, as well as hundreds of hot meals.

2017 lightning flash in US Great Plains sets new world record

A lightning flash in a notorious storm hotspot in the United States nearly a decade ago has been certified as the longest on record, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced on Thursday.

The megaflash – an incredible 829 kilometres long (515 miles) – occurred during a major storm in the Great Plains in October 2017 and was some 61 kilometres greater than the previous record, also set in the same region.

It extended from eastern Texas to near Kansas City, equivalent to the distance between Paris and Venice in Europe: a journey that would take roughly eight to nine hours by car, or at least 90 minutes by plane.

Value of early warning systems 

The flash was not identified in the original 2017 analysis of the storm but was discovered through re-examination. 

WMO’s Committee on Weather and Climate Extremes recognized the new record with the help of the latest satellite technologies and the findings were published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

“Lightning is a source of wonder but also a major hazard that claims many lives around the world every year and is therefore one of the priorities for the international Early Warnings for All initiative,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

Launched in 2022, the initiative aims to ensure that everyone on the planet is protected from hazardous weather, water, or climate events through early warning systems by the end of 2027. 

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Haiti: Violence and displacement driving humanitarian crisis as funding needs go unmet

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Nearly 1.3 million people in the Caribbean country have fled their homes, with an additional 15,000 uprooted last week after armed attacks in the communes of Dessalines and Verrettes in the Artibonite department.

Further, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its partners have screened more than 217,000 children for acute malnutrition in 2025. Some 21,500 children have been admitted for acute malnutrition treatment, representing a mere 17 per cent of the 129,000 children who are projected to need lifesaving services this year.  

This malnutrition stems from severe food insecurity across the country. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reported that an estimated 5.7 million people – more than half of Haiti’s population – faced high levels of acute food insecurity between March and June this year.  

Education emergency

Haiti’s children also face an education emergency. More than 1,600 schools remain closed in Haiti, an increase of over two thirds compared to the start of the year.  

“Without access to education, children, of course, are more vulnerable to exploitation and recruitment by gangs,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists at Headquarters in New York

In response, UNICEF has provided learning opportunities to more than 16,000 children, and the agency has given over 100,000 children mental health and psychosocial support.      

Insecurity and lack of funds straining access

Despite dire humanitarian needs and commendable efforts by UN agencies, the current support “is just a fraction of what is needed in Haiti”, Mr. Dujarric emphasised.

Insecurity continues to constrain the humanitarian response, causing access challenges, supply shortages and the closure of health facilities.

Subsequently, the many displaced families in urgent need of hygiene supplies, food, emergency shelter, medical assistance and other essential items are often unable to access them.  

Humanitarian response is also hampered by a severe lack of funds.

“Haiti remains, as I have said here many times, the least funded of our underfunded country appeals globally,” Mr. Dujarric stressed. More than halfway through the year, the Haitian humanitarian response plan has received less than 9 per cent of the $908 million required.  

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Syria: Ongoing violence fuelling mass displacement in Sweida

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More than 93,000 Syrians have been displaced across Sweida, neighbouring Dar’a governorate and Rural Damascus due to escalating violence in the city,  UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said at Monday’s daily press briefing in New York.

Most displaced people in Sweida are staying with local communities or in one of 15 reception centres, while around 30 collective shelters have opened in Dar’a.

Infrastructure and services are suffering in the area. Some hospitals and health centres in Sweida are out of service, water infrastructure has been critically damaged, significant cuts to electricity have been reported, and access to food is disrupted.

Initial aid delivery

On Sunday, the first aid convoy deployed by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent reached Sweida and the Salkhad district within the city, where most displaced people are seeking safety.  

The convoy of 32 trucks carried food, water, medical supplies and fuel provided by the World Food Programme (WFP), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other partners.

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher welcomed this initial delivery on social media, saying it was a “desperately needed first step, but much more relief is needed.”  

Mr. Dujarric stressed that as the UN engages with relevant parties to facilitate humanitarian access and ensure the protection of civilians, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is working with authorities to facilitate a direct visit to Sweida to deliver assistance when security conditions allow.  

Mr. Fletcher echoed this sentiment, saying OCHA teams “are mobilised to move as much as we can.”

“We continue to urge all parties to protect people who have been caught up in the violence, including by allowing them to move freely to seek safety and medical assistance,” concluded Mr. Dujarric.

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Humanitarians report more deaths, displacement and desperation in Gaza

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“Every day brings more preventable deaths, displacement and desperation,” the agency said in a humanitarian update.

On Friday, Israeli authorities issued another displacement order, this time for parts of North Gaza.

OCHA said it continues to receive deeply troubling reports of malnourished children and adults being admitted to hospitals with insufficient resources available to treat them.

Fuel crisis deepens

The energy crisis in Gaza is also deepening, despite the resumption of limited fuel imports as the quantities that are entering – while critical for continuity – “remain at lower levels than what we were previously able to extract from dwindling internal reserves, which have now been fully depleted”.

The situation has forced solid waste collection to be paused in recent days, and additional wells have had to shut down, particularly in Deir Al-Balah.

“While specific health services, including dialysis, have reduced or shut down, others could go on for a few more days before they too will have to go dark,” OCHA warned.

“With every day that passes, people have less clean water and healthcare and more sewage flooding ground floors.”

Since the limited entry of fuel entry supplies resumed on 9 July, the UN has managed to send just over 600,000 litres of diesel to Kerem Shalom. On Thursday,

it was able to send 35,000 litres of much-needed benzene for the first time.

OCHA said these volumes are limited because Israel has allowed only 14 trucks over the past week. 

The agency stressed that to maintain lifesaving operations, hundreds of thousands of litres of fuel are needed every day. The limited fuel currently entering is primarily allocated to health, water and communications services as well as to power vehicles.

Humanitarian movements curtailed

Humanitarian movements inside Gaza also continue to be restricted.

On Thursday, seven out of 13 attempts to coordinate the movement of aid workers and supplies with the Israeli authorities were facilitated.

Teams were able to retrieve some fuel, collect some water, relocate generators, provide supplies related to hygiene and sanitation and transfer much-needed medical supplies.

The six remaining attempts were either outright denied or approved initially, but then faced obstacles on the ground.

End international media ban

Meanwhile, the head of the UN Palestine refugee agency UNRWA called on Friday for the ban on international media entering Gaza to be lifted.

“650 days of atrocities against civilians with no international media allowed in,” Philippe Lazzarini wrote in social media post, adding that over 200 Palestinian journalists have been killed during this time.

“Media ban fuels dis-information campaigns questioning first-hand data and accounts from eyewitnesses and international humanitarian organizations,” he said.

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World News in Brief: violence spurs displacement in Syria, Israeli forces cross the Blue Line in Lebanon, mall fire kills dozens in Iraq

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As of Thursday, nearly 2,000 families have been displaced from violence-affected areas in Sweida governate and are currently sheltering in a dozen collective sites. Many are unable to return home due to damage, looting or destruction of their homes.

The health systems in Sweida and neighbouring Dar’a governorate remain under critical strain, operating without power and facing severe supply shortages. Reports also suggest that at least two doctors were killed in the recent clashes, and some armed groups have occupied health facilities, putting patients and staff at risk.

Mobilisation amid constrained access

The UN and its partners are mobilising humanitarian assistance as security allows and working with authorities to facilitate access.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has dispatched 35 trauma and emergency surgery kits for 1,750 interventions, but many remain undelivered because of constrained access.  

“We urge all parties to protect people caught up in the violence, including by allowing them to move freely to seek safety and medical assistance,” said Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stephanie Tremblay at Thursday’s daily press briefing in New York.

She also stressed that security forces must respect applicable international law, norms and standards throughout their operations.

Lebanon: UN peacekeepers observe unauthorised Israeli activities  

Ms. Tremblay also reported that peacekeepers at the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) continue to observe Israeli military activities in its area of operations.

On 16 July, Israeli soldiers crossed north of the Blue Line to conduct military exercises.  

UNIFIL peacekeepers have also heard several explosions, including one on 17 July near the Mission Headquarters in Naqoura.  

The “blue helmets” have additionally discovered unauthorized weapons and ammunition caches at one site, rocket launchers, rocket-propelled grenades, mortar rounds and ammunition boxes.  

Commitment to Lebanon

In response to recent observations the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, and UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander, Major General Diodato Abagnara, met with the Lebanese Army’s South Litani Sector Commander Brigadier General Nicolas Tabet in Tyre on 17 July.  

“Ms. Hennis-Plasschaert and General Abagnara underlined our commitment to supporting the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701, including strengthening State authority and helping restore stability in southern Lebanon,” Ms. Tremblay said.

As part of UNIFIL’s support, peacekeepers trained with Lebanese Armed Forces personnel in Tyre on 16 July, enhancing the operational competency of the Lebanese Army personnel.

Fire in Iraqi shopping mall

The United Nations has expressed condolences to the families of the victims of a tragic fire in the eastern Iraqi city of Kut on Wednesday.

According to news reports, the fire tore through the shopping centre – which opened only a week ago – leaving at least 61 people dead.  

“We express our strong solidarity with the people of Wasit Governorate in this profound loss,” Ms. Tremblay said.  

She also emphasised that the UN and its partners are ready to provide humanitarian assistance to help mitigate the tragedy’s impact.

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Displacement, poverty and insecurity fueling violence against women in Gaza

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In the past three months, a third of Gaza’s population (714,000 people) have been forced to move once again, separating families and dismantling local support systems.

Women and girls are bearing a heavy burden, fearing for their lives on the streets – at delivery points, and in overcrowded, makeshift shelters that lack privacy and security – as many sleep in the open.

“Women have experienced immense loss, including the death or imprisonment of relatives. Looking for water, living without any privacy, and constantly worrying – it’s exhausting,” one case worker told UNFPA.  

Many young girls are also being pushed into child labour and forced marriage in efforts to cope with devastating hunger.

Suhair who works at a safe space for women and girls in Gaza’s central Deir El-Balah Governorate.

Safe spaces in big demand

In response to this crisis, on Wednesday, UNFPA reported a sharp increase in victims seeking help at their safe spaces, which provide shelter and psychological support.

However, according to the women working there – many of whom are also displaced, conditions are extremely difficult, and there are far too few facilities for the number of women and children in need, making it difficult to reach those most at risk.

For instance, displacement orders have disrupted services and caused providers to lose essential equipment and files, forcing them to restart operations from scratch.  

Even as staff receive accounts of abuse, incidents remain vastly underreported due to stigma, fear of retaliation, and the collapse of health and justice systems.

“Despite all the difficulties, I continue to support abused women and girls,” said Asmaa, who works at a UNFPA-supported safe space in Gaza and has been displaced ten times since the war began.

Severe supply and fuel shortages

Fuel shortages are crippling critical infrastructure across Gaza. The UN has warned that humanitarian operations may collapse entirely, and an estimated 80 per cent of health facilities are expected to run out of fuel in the coming days.

As UNFPA attempts to shift to remote support, fuel shortages have triggered telecommunications blackouts, cut off survivor hotlines and made remote assistance largely inaccessible.

Since the blockade was imposed on 7 March, no agency supplies have entered Gaza, leaving essential items such as menstrual hygiene kits severely depleted.

Due to these shortages, three UNFPA safe spaces have closed, while the remaining 14 are functioning at severely limited capacity.

Despite the many challenges, the reproductive health agency and its case workers continue to try their best to help women and girls. “We feel the urgent needs of women and recognise the importance of supporting them. A small effort can make a big difference in their lives,” one caseworker stressed.

© UNFPA/Women’s Affairs Centre

Salma, left, is a mother of four and gender-based violence case manager in Khan Younis.

 

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UN warns of worsening humanitarian crisis in Sudan as displacement, hunger and disease escalate

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The situation is particularly dire in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur province, which has witnessed some of the worst episodes of the ongoing conflict between rival militaries.

Those remaining in El Fasher are facing “extreme shortages” of food and clean water, with markets repeatedly disrupted, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists at the regular news briefing in New York.

Across the city, nearly 40 per cent of children under five are suffering from acute malnutrition, including 11 per cent with severe acute malnutrition.

Most of the surrounding water infrastructure has also been destroyed or rendered non-functional due to minimal maintenance and fuel shortages, Mr. Dujarric added.  

El Fasher displacement

Since April 2023, an estimated 780,000 people have been displaced from El Fasher town and the nearby Zamzam displacement camps, including nearly 500,000 in April and May of this year.

Famine conditions have been confirmed in the area since last August.

About three-quarters of Zamzam camp’s residents fled to various locations across Tawila, where the UN and its partners have scaled up critical humanitarian assistance.

Cholera outbreak continues

Mr. Dujarric further warned that the breakdown of water and sanitation services, combined with low vaccination coverage, has sharply increased the risk of disease outbreaks, including cholera.

So far this year, Sudan has reported more than 32,000 suspected cholera cases.

According to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) cholera cases continue to rise across Darfur, with over 300 suspected cases and more than two dozen deaths reported in South Darfur state last week alone.

“Conflict and collapsing infrastructure continue to drive the spread of the disease and impede response efforts,” Mr. Dujarric stressed.

Unprecedented and complex crisis

Since war erupted between the former allies-turned-rivals, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023, tens of thousands of civilians have been killed and more than 12 million forced to flee their homes – including approximately four million as refugees in neighbouring countries.

The crisis is unfolding against a backdrop of extreme vulnerability, as the country remains highly susceptible to the impacts of climate change and disasters.

From severe droughts to deadly floods, the compounded effects of conflict and environmental instability are pushing communities to the brink, leaving them struggling to survive. Famine has already been declared in some parts of the country, putting millions of lives at risk.

Lack of resources hamstring response

Despite growing needs, the $4.2 billion humanitarian response plan for 2025, which aims to assist around 21 million of the most vulnerable people, remains only 21 per cent funded, having received $896 million so far.

Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, underscored the gravity of the situation in El Fasher.

Civilians in the area remain cut off from aid and face the risk of starvation, he said in a post on social media.

Appealing for an urgent humanitarian pause, he warned that “every day without access costs lives.” 

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UN chief ‘appalled’ by worsening Gaza crisis as civilians face displacement, aid blockades

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Multiple attacks in recent days have killed and injured scores of Palestinians at sites hosting displaced people and others attempting to access essential supplies, according to a statement from UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric on Thursday.

“The Secretary-General strongly condemns the loss of civilian life,” Mr. Dujarric said.

On just one day this week, nearly 30,000 people were forced to flee under new Israeli relocation orders, with no safe place to go and clearly inadequate supplies of shelter, food, medicine or water, he added.

Critical systems shutting down

With no fuel having entered Gaza in over 17 weeks, the UN chief is also “gravely concerned that the last lifelines for survival are being cut off.”

“Without an urgent influx of fuel, incubators will shut down, ambulances will be unable to reach the injured and sick, and water cannot be purified,” Mr. Dujarric said.

“The delivery by the United Nations and partners of what little of our lifesaving humanitarian aid is left in Gaza will also grind to a halt.”

The Secretary-General reiterated his call for safe and sustained humanitarian access so aid can reach people in desperate need.

“The UN has a clear and proven plan, rooted in the humanitarian principles, to get vital assistance to civilians – safely and at scale, wherever they are,” Mr. Dujarric said.

The Secretary-General reiterated his call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups. He reminded all parties that international humanitarian law must be upheld.

Displacement continues

Displacement remains relentless. On Wednesday, Israeli authorities issued a new evacuation order in parts of Gaza City, affecting some 40,000 people and including a displacement site, a medical point and one of the few neighbourhoods that had remained untouched by such orders since before the March ceasefire.

Since that ceasefire collapsed, over 50 such orders have been issued, now covering 78 per cent of Gaza’s territory.

“Add the Israeli-militarized zones and that percentage jumps to 85 – leaving just 15 per cent where civilians can actually stay,” Mr. Dujarric said, briefing reporters at the UN Headquarters, in New York.

Those areas are overcrowded and severely lacking in services or proper infrastructure.

“Imagine having just over two million people in Manhattan – which is actually slightly bigger – but instead of buildings, the area is strewn with the rubble of demolished and bombed-out structures, without infrastructure or basic support,” the UN Spokesperson said.

“And in Gaza, these remaining areas are also fragmented and unsafe.”

Sudan: UN warns of soaring displacement and looming floods

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At Tuesday’s regular briefing at the UN Headquarters, in New York, Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric relayed warnings from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian affairs (OCHA), citing urgent concerns across the country.

“Across Sudan, we continue to be deeply concerned about the humanitarian impact of the ongoing fighting, which is escalating displacement and driving needs even higher,” Mr. Dujarric said.

Conflict driving displacement

Clashes between rival militaries – Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – continue to uproot civilians, particularly in Darfur and Kordofan states. Fighting in El Fasher alone has displaced more than 400,000 people since April, according to OCHA.

In June, nearly 8,000 displaced people from North Darfur arrived in Ad-Dabba, putting pressure on overstretched resources and limited access to healthcare, shelter, clean water and food.

In North Kordofan, over 16,000 people were forced to flee their homes in Bara between 26 and 29 June alone, while another 16,000 to flee Babanusa in West Kordofan on 27 June, according to the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Flood warnings

Separately, OCHA warned of increased flood risks as Sudan enters its rainy season, which runs through October. Forecasts point to above-average rainfall, heightening the threat of both riverine and flash floods – especially in areas already facing limited infrastructure and access.

“Any flooding could disrupt road access, hamper aid delivery, and heighten the threat of disease outbreaks during the ongoing lean season,” Mr. Dujarric said, noting that an ongoing cholera outbreak could worsen with the floods.

Nearly 500,000 people were affected by floods last year. With the likelihood of a repeat or worse this season, Mr. Dujarric said humanitarian agencies are ready to respond “where access and resources allow,” but warned that critical funding gaps are hampering preparedness.

UN relief visits Sudan

Mr. Dujarric also highlighted the importance of recent discussions between Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher and senior SAF and RSF officials.

Mr. Fletcher appealed for a humanitarian pause to allow lifesaving aid to reach people in El Fasher, which has been besieged by the RSF and cut off from assistance since last April.

“Our humanitarian colleagues underscore that we will continue our engagements with the aim of facilitating the swift and safe delivery of aid to all those who need it,” Mr. Dujarric said.  

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UN rights office sounds the alarm over forced displacement in the West Bank

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Israeli authorities have stepped up measures to transfer large numbers of people from long-standing Palestinian towns and communities, according to OHCHR’s office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

On 18 June, the High Planning Council in the Israeli Civil Administration issued a directive to reject all building and planning permits submitted by Palestinians in Masafer Yatta, South Hebron Hills, in the area referred by the Israeli authorities as Firing Zone 918.

The decision was based on the grounds that the Israeli army needs the area for “military training,” the rights office said.

Demolitions on the rise

In recent months, Israel has dramatically ramped up home demolitions, as well as the arbitrary arrest and ill-treatment of Palestinians and human rights defenders. This is happening alongside intensifying movement restrictions in and around Masafer Yatta, to force Palestinians out, the office noted.

At the same time, Israeli settlers from nearby outposts have carried out daily attacks and harassment of Palestinians, including older people, women and children, to force them to leave.

“The recent directive by the Israeli Civil Administration effectively paves the way for the Israeli army to demolish existing structures in the area and expel the approximately 1,200 Palestinians, who have been living there for decades,” OHCHR said.

“This would amount to forcible transfer, which is a war crime. It could also amount to a crime against humanity if committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack.”

Some 6,463 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced following the demolition of their homes by Israel between 7 October 2023 and 31 May 2025, according to the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA,

This figure does not include the approximately 40,000 Palestinians displaced from three refugee camps in Jenin and Tulkarem as a result of intensive Israeli operations in the northern West Bank since January.

During the same period, over 2,200 Palestinians were forcibly displaced by settler attacks and access restrictions.

More communities at risk

OHCHR added that countless other Palestinian communities face the same fate of forced displacement. It said that on 10 June, the Jerusalem municipality reportedly issued demolition notices for the entire village of An Nu’man, home to 150 people. 

The village, which is located near Bethlehem, was cut off from the rest of the West Bank by the construction of the separation wall and incorporated into Israel’s unilaterally declared boundaries of the Jerusalem municipality. Most Palestinians were not provided with Jerusalem identification cards, effectively rendering them unable to access services in either East Jerusalem or the rest of the West Bank. 

“These demolition notices appear to be another step by Israel to compound the coercive environment and forcibly transfer Palestinians from the village and consolidate the annexation of this land,” the office said.

Evictions in East Jerusalem

Meanwhile, Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem also face the ongoing threat of forced eviction from their homes and lands. 

OHCHR said that on 16 and 22 June, the Israeli Supreme Court endorsed the eviction of five Palestinian families, 37 people, from their homes in the Batn El Hawa neighbourhood of Silwan based on discriminatory laws that permit Jewish individuals to reclaim property lost in the 1948 war, while denying Palestinians the same rights. 

Additionally, the Israel Land Authority issued eviction notices on 11 June for residencies in Umm Tuba.  The 150 Palestinians affected were informed that the land was registered to the Jewish National Fund under the “settlement of land title”. 

“These evictions form part of a concerted campaign by the Israeli State and settler organisations, which target Palestinian neighbourhoods to seize Palestinian homes and expand Jewish settlements,” OHCHR said.

The office stressed that these acts violate international law, which prohibits the confiscation of private property in occupied territory, as highlighted by the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) last July. 

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Human Rights Council hears concerns over displacement, genocide risks and migrant trafficking

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Of the record 83 million people internally displaced worldwide, at least 1.2 million were displaced by crime-related violence in 2024 – more than double the 2023 figure – amid a global decline in support for international norms, human rights and the rule of law.

The growing reach of organised crime in driving displacement and rights violations was the focus of a report delivered Monday morning by the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, Paula Gaviria Betancur.

Driving displacement

As violent conflicts worsen globally, displacement is increasingly driven by the threat of violence or the desire of criminal groups to control territory, resources and illicit economies.

Additionally, in places like Sudan, Palestine and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), occupying powers and criminal groups are systematically uprooting communities to alter demographics, treating IDPs as military targets.

“Displacement is no longer just a consequence of conflict – it is increasingly its deliberate objective,” Ms. Betancur warned.

In these regions, either the State enables impunity for violent groups or national security operations worsen the crisis by punishing victims and fuelling further displacement, eroding state legitimacy.

IDPs in these contexts “face grave violations of their human rights,” including “murder, violent assault, kidnapping, forced labour, child recruitment and sexual exploitation,” she said.

“The rise in global displacement is the result of systemic failure – the failure of States and the international community to tackle its root causes,” Ms. Betancur concluded, calling for stronger support for the UN and accountability for criminal groups.

Genocide risks in conflict areas

Virginia Gamba, Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, briefed the council on escalating risks in Sudan, Gaza, the DRC and beyond during Monday’s session.

In Sudan, where over 10.5 million have been displaced since fighting erupted in April 2023, both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are committing grave rights violations.

Ethnically motivated attacks by the RSF in certain regions mean “the risk of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sudan remains very high,” Ms. Gamba underscored.

Turning to Gaza, she called the scale of civilian suffering and destruction “staggering and unacceptable,” noting the conflict has also fuelled rising antisemitism and Islamophobia worldwide.

Hate speech fuelling violence

As attacks on civilians and ethnic violence continue in the DRC, hate speech and discrimination have surged.

But this surge is also occurring worldwide, further exacerbating the risk of genocide.

“Hate speech – which has been a precursor for genocide in the past – is present in far too many situations, often targeting the most vulnerable,” said Ms. Gamba, highlighting refugees, Indigenous peoples and religious minorities.

For genocide prevention, she urged greater efforts to monitor hate speech, expand education efforts, and strengthen partnerships with regional organizations.

“The task of preventing genocide remains critical and urgent—the moment to act is now,” she stressed.

Trafficking of migrant domestic workers

Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, Siobhán Mullally, presented her report on the trafficking risks faced by migrant domestic workers.

“The specific nature of domestic work, and weak regulatory responses by States, produce a structural vulnerability to exploitation,” Ms. Mullally said.

The crisis disproportionately affects women, as they make up the majority of domestic workers and 61 per cent of trafficking victims detected globally in 2022.

Conditions of domestic work

Many women from disadvantaged communities are promised jobs abroad, but upon arrival, realise they have been conned. They endure violence, labour abuses and sexual exploitation but are unable to pay the exorbitant penalty for terminating their work contracts.

Ms. Mullally cited the legacy of slavery, gendered and racialised views of domestic work and intersecting discrimination as key factors behind poor conditions and trafficking risks.

Most States lack the political will to enforce labour laws in the domestic work sector, reinforcing this crisis, she said, calling for stronger labour laws, safe migration pathways, bilateral agreements grounded in human rights and an end to the criminalisation of trafficking victims.

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Displacement doubles while funding shrinks, warns UNHCR

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In December last year, the overthrow of the Assad regime by opposition forces reignited hope that most Syrians could see home again soon. As of May, 500,000 refugees and 1.2 million internally displaced people (IDPs) returned to their areas of origin.

But that’s not the only reason Syria is no longer the largest displacement crisis in the world.

Sudan sets a grim record

More than two years of civil war in Sudan has seen it pass Syria with 14.3 million people displaced since April 2022, 11.6 million of whom are internally displaced – that’s one-third of the entire Sudanese population, representing the largest internal displacement crisis ever recorded.

The UN refugee agency’s (UNHCR) latest report released Wednesday highlights the sheer scale of the problem, noting “untenably high” displacements – but it also contains “rays of hope,” despite the immediate impact of aid cuts in capitals around the world this year.

“We are living at a time of intense volatility in international relations, with modern warfare creating a fragile, harrowing landscape marked by acute human suffering,” said High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

A place to live in peace

By the end of 2024, 123.2 million people worldwide were displaced, representing a decade-high number, largely driven by protracted conflicts in Sudan, Myanmar and Ukraine.

73.5 million people worldwide have fled within their own countries, and of the 42.7 million refugees living beyond their borders, 73 per cent are hosted in low and middle-income countries, with 67 per cent are hosted in neighbouring countries.

Sadeqa and her son are refugees who have faced repeated displacement. They fled from Myanmar after Sadeqa’s husband was killed in 2024. In Bangladesh, they lived in a refugee camp for Rohingya Muslims, but the camp was overcrowded, leading them to flee again via boat.

She got on the boat not knowing where it was going. Ultimately, the vessel was rescued after weeks at sea, and now, she and her son live in Indonesia.

“We are searching for a place where we can live in peace,” Sadeqa said.

There are countless stories like hers. However, at the same time, Mr. Grandi said that there were “rays of hope” in the report. This year, 188,800 refugees were permanently resettled into host countries in 2024, the highest number in 40 years.

Moreover, 9.8 million people returned home in 2024, including 1.6 million refugees and 8.2 million internally displaced people mostly in Afghanistan and Syria.

‘Long-lasting solutions’

While 8.2 million IDPs returning home represents the second-largest single year tally on record, the report noted continuing challenges for returnees.

For example, many of the Afghan and Haitian refugees who returned home in the past year were deported from their host countries.

The report emphasized that returns must be voluntary and that the dignity and safety of the returner must be upheld once they reach their area of origin. This requires long-term peace-building and broader sustainable development progress.

“The search for peace must be at the heart of all efforts to find long-lasting solutions for refugees and others forced to flee their homes,” Mr Grandi said.

‘Brutal’ funding cuts

In the last decade, the number of people who have been forcibly displaced worldwide has doubled but funding levels for UNHCR remain largely unchanged.

The report explained that this lack of increased funding endangers already vulnerable displaced communities and further destabilizes regional peace.

“The situation is untenable, leaving refugees and others fleeing danger even more vulnerable,” UNHCR said. 

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