Refugees wait for their way to the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, March 7, 2022, after fleeing Ukraine and arriving at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland. More than 100 million people have been driven from their homes around the world, according to the UN refugee agency on Monday, citing new data about those who have escaped violence, conflict, persecution and human rights violations.
The UNHCR said the conflict in Ukraine has been one of the factors that drive millions of people to flee, as well as the protracted conflict in places like Ethiopia and Democratic Republic of Congo were other factors behind the high numbers.
Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said in a statement sent to journalists that it was a record that should never have been set. This must serve as a wake-up call to resolve and prevent destructive conflicts, end persecution, and address the underlying causes that force innocent people to flee their homes. The UNHCR's data includes refugees, asylum seekers, and those who are displaced within their own country. An aid body said last week that close to 60 million people had reached a new record of close to 60 million people by the end of last year.
Grandi urged action to address the causes of displacement, saying humanitarian aid was only treating the consequences.
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He said that to reverse this trend, the only answer is peace and stability, so innocent people don't have to gamble between acute danger at home or precarious flight and exile.