Wars displace over 122 million people as global aid dwindles – UNHCR

The number of people forcibly displaced by war, violence, and persecution has hit a record 122.1 million, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) revealed Thursday in its annual Global Trends report. The figures mark the 12th consecutive year of rising global displacement, underscoring a deepening humanitarian crisis.

The surge, up from 120 million a year ago, is being driven by protracted and intensifying conflicts in Sudan, Myanmar, and Ukraine, as well as a growing inability to resolve ongoing violence and protect civilians. UNHCR said the international community’s failure to end these wars is compounding suffering on an unprecedented scale.

“This is not a temporary surge—it’s a systemic crisis,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. “And just when needs are at their highest, humanitarian funding is drying up.”

While refugee-hosting countries continue to carry a disproportionate burden, financial support from wealthier nations has stagnated. Aid operations in key hotspots are increasingly under-resourced, placing millions at greater risk.

One glimmer of hope lies in a modest uptick in voluntary returns, particularly in Syria, suggesting that some displaced people are beginning to see conditions stabilizing enough to go home. However, the scale of returns remains small compared to the vast number still living in exile.

UNHCR is calling for stronger international solidarity, renewed diplomatic efforts to resolve conflicts, and a recommitment to humanitarian principles.

“Displacement on this scale cannot become the new normal,” the agency warned.