The number of people worldwide who have been displaced from their homes by conflict, natural disaster, or other factors has exceeded 100 million for the first time on record, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said in a statement Monday.
"One hundred million is a stark figure -- sobering and alarming in equal measure. It's a record that should never have been set," said UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi.
"The international response to people fleeing war in Ukraine has been overwhelmingly positive," he added. "Compassion is alive, and we need a similar mobilization for all crises around the world. But ultimately, humanitarian aid is a palliative, not a cure. To reverse this trend, the only answer is peace and stability so that innocent people are not forced to gamble between acute danger at home or precarious flight and exile."
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The 100 million displaced persons comprise one percent of the global population, equivalent to the 14th most populous country on earth, the UNHCR said.
Around 90 million people had been displaced by the end of 2021. The war in Ukraine — which began in Feb. 2022 and has displaced around 14 million people — pushed the number over the tragic milestone of 100 million.
Other contributors to the total include conflicts in Africa, the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, ethnic cleansing in Myanmar, and natural disasters in the Asia-Pacific region.
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