UNHCR says forced displacement had exceeded 80 million by mid-2020
(VOVWORLD) - The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates that forced displacement as a result of violence and abuse had surpassed 80 million by mid-year, despite appeals for a global ceasefire and the world fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The world is now surpassing another bleak milestone and the problem will continue to grow unless world leaders stop wars, said Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. At the beginning of this year, the 79.5 million people who had been forced from their homes included 30 million refugees, 1% of the world population.
Grandi went on to say that with forced displacement doubling in the last decade, the international community is failing to safeguard peace. He added that the coronavirus has disrupted every aspect of human life and severely worsened existing challenges for the forcibly displaced and stateless. Some of the measures taken to curb the spread of COVID-19 have made it harder for refugees to reach safety.