������Ƶ

GENEVA: The number of people forcibly displaced from their homes worldwide has dropped slightly from a record high but remains “untenably high,” the United Nations said Thursday.

A record 123.2 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced from their homes at the end of 2024, said UNHCR, the UN refugee agency.

But that figure dropped to 122.1 million by the end of April this year, as Syrians began returning home after years of turmoil.

Nearly two million Syrians have been able to return home from abroad or from displacement within the war-ravaged country.

But the UNHCR warned that how major conflicts worldwide played out would determine whether the figure would rise once again.

The agency said the number of people displaced by war, violence and persecution worldwide was “untenably high,” particularly in a period when humanitarian funding is evaporating.

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

“We must redouble our efforts to search for peace and find long-lasting solutions for refugees and others forced to flee their homes.”

The main drivers of displacement remain sprawling conflicts like those in Sudan, Myanmar and Ukraine, UNHCR said in its flagship annual Global Trends Report.

Syria’s brutal civil war erupted in 2011 but president Bashar Assad was finally overthrown in December 2024.

The report said the first months of this year saw rising numbers of Syrians returning home.

As of mid-May, more than 500,000 Syrians are estimated to have crossed back into the country since the fall of Assad, while an estimated 1.2 million internally displaced people (IDPs) have returned to their areas of origin since the end of November.

UNHCR estimates that up to 1.5 million Syrians from abroad and two million IDPs may return by the end of 2025.

Sudan is now the world’s largest forced displacement situation with 14.3 million refugees and IDPs, overtaking Syria (13.5 million), which is followed by Afghanistan (10.3 million) and Ukraine (8.8 million).

“During the remainder of 2025, much will depend on the dynamics in key situations,” the annual report said.

“This includes whether peace, or at least a cessation in fighting, is possible to achieve, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and Ukraine.”

It also depends on whether conditions for returns improve in Afghanistan and Syria.

Another factor was “how dire the impact of the current funding cuts will be” on responding to displacement and creating conditions for safe and dignified returns.

The number of people forced to flee persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations and events seriously disturbing public order has almost doubled in the last decade.

The figure of 123.2 million worldwide at the end of last year was up seven million compared to the end of 2023.

“One in 67 people globally were forcibly displaced at the end of 2024,” UNHCR said.

In total, 9.8 million forcibly displaced people returned home in 2024, including 1.6 million refugees — the most for more than two decades — and 8.2 million IDPs — the second highest ever.

“We have seen some rays of hope over the last six months,” said Grandi.

But countries such as the DR Congo, Myanmar and South Sudan saw significant new forced displacements as well as returns.

Two-thirds of refugees stay in neighboring countries.

Iran (3.5 million), Turkiye (2.9 million), Colombia (2.8 million), Germany (2.7 million) and Uganda (1.8 million) host the largest refugee populations.

UNITED NATIONS: The UN General Assembly is expected to vote Thursday on a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages held by Hamas, and the opening of all Israeli border crossings for deliveries of desperately needed food and other aid.

The resolution, drafted by Spain and obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, “strongly condemns any use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare.”

Experts and human rights workers say hunger is widespread in Gaza and some 2 million Palestinians are at risk of famine if Israel does not fully lift its blockade and halt its military campaign, which it renewed in March after ending a ceasefire with Hamas.

Last week, the UN Security Council failed to pass a resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and calling on Israel to lift all restrictions on the delivery of aid. The United States vetoed the resolution because it was not linked to the release of the hostages, while all 14 other members of the council voted in favor.

There are no vetoes in the 193-member General Assembly, where the resolution is expected to pass overwhelmingly. But unlike in the Security Council, assembly resolutions are not legally binding, though they are seen as a barometer of world opinion.

After a 10-week blockade that barred all aid to Gaza, Israel is allowing the United Nations to deliver a trickle of food assistance and is backing a newly created US aid group, which has opened several sites in the center and south of the territory to deliver food parcels.

But the aid system rolled out last month by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has been troubled by near-daily shootings as crowds make their way to aid sites, while the longstanding UN-run system has struggled to deliver food because of Israeli restrictions and a breakdown of law and order.

The draft resolution being voted on Thursday references a March 28 legally binding order by the top United Nations court for Israel to open more land crossings into Gaza for food, water, fuel and other supplies. The International Court of Justice issued the order in a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of acts of genocide in its war in Gaza, charges Israel strongly denies.

The resolution stresses that Israel, as an occupying power, has an obligation under international law to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches those in need.

It reiterates the assembly’s commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the Gaza Strip as part of a Palestinian state. The assembly is holding a high-level meeting next week to push for a two-state solution, which Israel has rejected.

The resolution supports mediation efforts by Egypt, Qatar and the United States aimed at implementing a January ceasefire agreement.

When the US vetoed last week’s Gaza resolution, acting Ambassador Dorothy Shea said it would have undermined the security of Israel and diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire “that reflects the realities on the ground.”

Like the failed Security Council resolution, the resolution to be voted on Thursday also does not condemn Hamas’ deadly attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which ignited the war, or say the militant group must disarm and withdraw from Gaza. Both are US demands.

The Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostage. About 55 hostages are still being held. Israel’s military campaign has killed over 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It says women and children make up most of the dead, but doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel says it has killed more than 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.