Just ahead of World Refugee Day on June 20, a new record has been set for the number of people forcibly displaced around the world – and the trajectory isn’t a sign of good things to come.
Released last week, the UNHCR Global Trends in Forced Displacement report reveals the number of people forcibly displaced around the world by the end of 2022 stood at a record 108.4 million – more than one in 74 people worldwide, and a 19.1 million increase from the end of 2021.
It’s the largest ever year-on-year increase according to UNHCR statistics, and the concerning upward shift hasn’t showed any signs of slowing down.
While 339,300 refugees were able to return to their home country in 2022, soaring figures of displacement globally meant that for every one person who returned home last year, 22 people became new refugees.
Canadian Foodgrains Bank humanitarian program manager Stefan Epp-Koop says displacement is currently the greatest area of response in the organization’s humanitarian programming.
In 2022-23, members of the Foodgrains Bank provided $45 million of humanitarian assistance for 306,478 people working in communities affected by displacement, with financial support from both the Government of Canada and the Canadian public.
Countries being supported through Foodgrains Bank programming include places like DR Congo, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Colombia and Lebanon, where even in the midst of their own crises, host communities are opening their doors to people forced to flee their homes.
“What we’re seeing in terms of these new numbers is devastating,” says Epp-Koop, “especially considering an ongoing hunger crisis that is already impacting many of the host communities where people are fleeing to.”
Conflict and violence were the primary causes of a surge in internal displacements in 2022, with 28 million new displacements as a result – adding to an already critical lack of food access in low-income countries.
“Whether you’re forced to flee your country to find refuge in neighbouring countries, or flee your community to find refuge elsewhere in your country – having to leave the place you call home due to violence is a traumatic experience,” says Epp-Koop.
“People flee their homes because there are no other choices – their livelihood has been destroyed or their personal safety is at risk. It is hard to imagine being in this position. Life after displacement is incredibly challenging. One of these challenges is hunger – many of those most affected by food insecurity in our world today have been displaced from their homes.”
As a member of the Humanitarian Coalition, Canadian Foodgrains Bank is raising funds for the Crisis in East Africa, where conflict and climate are creating widespread displacement and hunger impacting millions of people. All eligible donations made by June 30 will be matched by the Government of Canada.
