Pakistan world's largest refugee-hosting country: UNHCR

Number of refugees, asylum-seekers and IDPs worldwide exceeds 50 million people for the first time since World War II


Yasir Alvi June 20, 2014
Food packages being distributed among internally displaced people in Jalozai camp. PHOTO: UNHCR/FILE

KARACHI: Pakistan currently hosts 1.6 million registered refugees, making it the world's largest refugee-hosting country, said a recently released report by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)

Approximately 2.6 million Afghan refugees are living worldwide, with a majority of them being accommodated by Pakistan.

The UN refugee agency reported today that the number of refugees, asylum-seekers and internally displaced people worldwide has, for the first time since World War II, exceeded 50 million people. The number, as of now stands at 51.2 million refugees around the globe.

Astonishingly, at the end of 2013, 50% of the total number of refugees were children below the age of 18. This is the highest number recorded in the past 10 years.

The massive increase in the number of refugees around the globe is a result of the ongoing crisis in Syria, as well as Central African Republic and South Sudan.

The major source countries of refugees are Afghanistan, Syria and Somalia, where as Pakistan, Iran and Lebanon host more refugees than any other country.

 



 

UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres said, "we are seeing here the immense costs of not ending wars, of failing to resolve or prevent conflict."

Developing countries host eighty six percent of the world’s refugees, up from seventy percent ten years ago.

A review of the past year by UNHCR indicates that if the 51.2 million refugees around the globe were a nation, it would be the 26 largest in the world.

COMMENTS (14)

Hafiz Saeed, LeT | 9 years ago | Reply @ Zaid Hamid, Bangladeshi,Pakistani minority & majority should be given equal chance to enter & all should be called refugees. The Han Chinese should be given quota in the Dharmashala where there are so many Tibetan refugees but not a single Han Chinese refugee. Such a discrimination. Shame on India's secular claims.
Zaid Hamid lal topi wala | 9 years ago | Reply & why is it that when a Bangla(or Pakistani) hindu is refugee, but Bangla(orPakistani) muslim is infiltrator? Since India is secular, both neighbour minority & majority should be called refugees. If Han Chinese & Tibetians come, call them both refugees. Good that they atleast accepted many Rohingyas as refugees. India should learn to be secular.
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