65.6 million people displaced worldwide

UN refugee agency: Record 65.6 million people displaced worldwide

Syrians fleeing conflict account for 12 million of the world's displaced people

A record 65.6 million people are either refugees, asylum seekers or internally displaced across the globe, the UN refugee agency said.

Mr Grandi also warned of the burden being placed on many of the world's poorest states, as some 84% of the world's displaced people are living in poor and middle income countries.
"How am I to ask countries with far less resources, in Africa, in the Middle East, in Asia, to take millions of refugees if the richer countries are refusing to do so?" he said.
The UN said it hoped Monday's record breaking numbers of displaced would encourage wealthy countries to think again: not just to accept more refugees, but to invest in peace promotion, and reconstruction.

The world's displaced people - in numbers

There are 65.6 million displaced people in the world - more people than live in the UK. Of these:

• 22.5 million are refugees
• 40.3 million are displaced in their own country
• 2.8 million are seeking asylum

Where do the refugees come from?

• Syria: 5.5 million*
• Afghanistan: 2.5 million
• South Sudan: 1.4 million

Who is hosting the refugees?

• Turkey: 2.9 million
• Pakistan: 1.4 million
• Lebanon: 1 million
• Iran: 979,4000
• Uganda: 940,800
• Ethiopia: 791,600

*Another 6.3 million Syrians are internally displaced