Record number of displaced people

GENEVA: The number of internally displaced people reached a record 71.1 million worldwide last year due to conflicts and climate calamities, according to data published yesterday.

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre said this was a 20% increase since 2021, with an unprecedented number of people fleeing in search of safety and shelter.

It said nearly three-quarters of the world’s displaced people lived in 10 countries, including Syria, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine and Sudan, due to conflicts. The war in Ukraine triggered nearly 17million displacements last year. The bulk was due to floods, droughts and landslides. |