Forced displacement has risen steadily worldwide for a decade
Forced displacement of populations has increased steadily since 2015 and now affects more than 123 million people, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in its annual report, released on Thursday, June 12.
The situation, described by the UNHCR as "untenable," results from various wars and persecutions around the world. Sudan has now become the most affected country by forced displacement, with 14.3 million refugees and internally displaced persons, ahead of Syria (13.5 million), Afghanistan (10.3 million) and Ukraine (8.8 million). "The number of forcibly displaced people has almost doubled in the last decade," said the UNHCR, whereas the 1990s were marked by stabilization. The end of certain conflicts – in the Balkans, in Sierra Leone, Liberia and South Sudan – as well as the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, allowed millions of refugees to return home.
The trend has reversed in a lasting way and was only slightly mitigated by an increase in return movements in 2024, such as those made possible by the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December. "Nearly two million Syrians have been able to return home after over a decade uprooted," said High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. "The country remains fragile."
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France 24
37 minutes ago
- France 24
UN summit celebrates ocean protections, but drops fossil fuels
Countries hoping for new financial pledges to assist with combating rising seas and overfishing were also left disappointed at the UN Ocean Conference in France. More than 60 heads of state and government joined thousands of business leaders, scientists and environmental campaigners over five days in the southern city of Nice. The United Nations says the world's oceans are facing an "emergency" and the Nice gathering was just the third -- and the largest yet -- dedicated entirely to the seas. Treaty tide Activists unanimously praised concrete progress toward ratifying a landmark pact to protect marine life in the 60 percent of oceans that lie beyond national waters. "This week's ratifications of the high seas treaty mark a major milestone for ocean action," said Rebecca Hubbard from the High Seas Alliance. Some 19 countries formally ratified the treaty at Nice, taking the overall tally to 50. Sixty nations are needed to enact the treaty. France's special envoy for the oceans, Olivier Poivre d'Arvor, said the numbers would be ready in time for a formal ratification ceremony in September in New York. The treaty should then take effect in January 2026, he added. - Plastic push - The conference sought to rally global action on marine protection as countries prepare to tussle over global rules for deep-sea mining in July and a plastics treaty in August. More than 90 ministers issued a symbolic call in Nice for the hard-fought plastics treaty to contain limits on consumption and production of new plastics, something opposed by oil-producing nations. Elephant in the room The summit rallied a defence of science and rules-based oversight of common resources -- most notably the unknown depths of the oceans -- in a direct rebuke of US President Donald Trump. Trump was not present in Nice and rarely mentioned by name but his spectre loomed large as leaders backed the global multilateralism he has spurned. In particular, leaders condemned Trump's push to fast-track seabed mining, vowing to resist his unilateral efforts to exploit the ocean floor. Seabed row Leaders "made it unmistakably clear: deep-sea mining is one of the biggest threats facing our ocean, and the world is saying no," said Sofia Tsenikli from the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition. French President Emmanuel Macron called it "madness" while Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva warned against a "predatory" race for critical minerals. But a global alliance opposed to deep-sea mining, and spearheaded by France, only attracted four new members during the summit, taking the total to 37 nations. Poivre d'Arvor said the alliance would flatly reject any call at a meeting of the International Seabed Authority next month to permit deep-sea exploration. The authority, backed by the UN, has 169 member states. Overfishing Many nations took the opportunity to unveil plans to create vast new marine protected areas and restrict bottom trawling, which was recently captured in grisly detail in a new David Attenborough documentary. Activists had wanted countries to go further, advocating for a total ban on the destructive fishing method that sees heavy nets dragged across the ocean floor. Missing millions Some 8.7 billion euros ($10 billion) was committed over the next five years by philanthropists and private investors for the sustainable development of ocean economies. But pledges were less forthcoming from wealthy governments, with France announcing two million euros for climate adaptation in Pacific Island nations. Flat finish The summit will close later Friday with a joint political statement, negotiated over many months between nations, that critics slammed for omitting any reference to fossil fuels -- the key driver of ocean warming. Laurence Tubiana, CEO at the European Climate Foundation, said Nice showed global cooperation was still possible "but let's not confuse signatures with solutions". "No communique ever cooled a marine heatwave," she said. Former US special climate envoy John Kerry, who was present in Nice, said in a statement that it was impossible to "protect the ocean without confronting the biggest root cause bringing it to the breaking point: the pollution from unabated fossil fuels pumped into the atmosphere".
Euronews
12 hours ago
- Euronews
Hamas attacks GHF bus in Gaza killing five, US-backed charity says
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said the number of people forcibly displaced by violence and persecution around the world rose to more than 123 million by the end of 2024 — an increase of around 2 million from the previous year. UNHCR said figures recorded at the end of last year show that displacement has almost doubled over the past decade. The report comes at a time when humanitarian groups are facing budget cuts from the United States and other traditional Western donors. UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi, however, highlighted what he called 'rays of hope' in recent months, noting that nearly two million Syrians have returned home as the country begins to emerge from more than a decade of civil war. The findings were released alongside the UN refugee agency's Global Trends Report on Thursday, which estimated that by the end of April 2025, the number of forcibly displaced people worldwide had likely fallen slightly — down 1% to 122.1 million — marking the first decline in more than a decade. Among those figures, the number of internally displaced people jumped by more than 9% to 73.5 million at the end of last year. The numbers represent cumulative figures from years of conflict, violence, and persecution — and include people who returned home last year, even as others fled. UNHCR said nearly two-thirds of people who crossed national borders to flee remained in neighbouring countries, countering the "widespread perception in wealthier regions" that a majority of people were fleeing in a bid to reach places like Europe or the United States. The agency said Sudan, torn by civil war, is now the site of the world's largest displacement crisis, with more than 14 million people uprooted — surpassing Syria's 13.5 million. Many of those fleeing the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have fled to neighbouring countries like South Sudan, Chad and Egypt. In Afghanistan, more than 10 million people have been forcibly displaced. While active fighting has largely ceased, the UNHCR notes that widespread poverty and hunger persist, and some countries have implemented policies to deport undocumented migrants, including Afghan nationals. The report also notes that Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues to drive large-scale displacement. Some 8.8 million Ukrainians have been displaced by the fighting, 3.7 million internally and 5.1 million who have sought refuge in other countries. Hamas "brutally attacked" a bus carrying the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) staff to a distribution site near the southern city of Khan Yunis on Wednesday night, killing at least five, the US-backed charity said. "There are at least five fatalities, multiple injuries and fear that some of our team members may have been taken hostage," GHF said in a statement. The five killed staff members are Palestinian. 'We condemn this heinous and deliberate attack in the strongest possible terms,' GHF said. 'These were aid workers. Humanitarians. Fathers, brothers, sons, and friends, who were risking their lives everyday to help others.' The killings early Wednesday were carried out by the Hamas Sahm police unit, which Hamas claims it established to combat looting. The unit released video footage showing several dead men lying in the street, saying they were Abu Shabab militia fighters who had been detained and killed for collaborating with Israel. It was not possible to verify the images or the claims around them. Abu Shabab officials denied that the images showed members of their militia. Israel's foreign ministry reacted to the news by stating on X that "Hamas is weaponising suffering in Gaza -- denying food, targeting lifesavers and forsaking its own people." Reverend Johnnie Moore, a Christian evangelical advisor to US President Donald Trump who was recently appointed head of GHF, called the killings 'absolute evil' and lashed out at the UN and Western countries over what he said was their failure to condemn them. 'The principle of impartiality does not mean neutrality. There is good and evil in this world. What we are doing is good and what Hamas did to these Gazans is absolute evil,' he wrote on X. Israel and the US say the new system is needed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off aid from the long-standing UN-run distribution scheme, which is capable of delivering food, fuel and other humanitarian assistance to all parts of Gaza. UN officials deny there has been any systematic diversion of aid by Hamas, and instead say they have struggled to deliver it because of Israeli restrictions and the breakdown of law and order in Gaza. The GHF began operating in late May, stating it has distributed more than 7 million meals worth of food during the first week of its mandate. However, its work has been marred by deadly shootings which have taken place near some of its four aid distribution centres in recent weeks. On Wednesday, at least 25 people were reportedly killed near a GHF convoy in the Netzarim corridor in Gaza, according to two hospitals there. The GHF has claimed it has faced continued threats from Hamas, saying on Saturday this has "made it impossible" to operate in Gaza. Hamas has denied this, in turn accusing the GHF of "failing on all levels". An Air India plane bound for London's Gatwick airport with 232 passengers and 12 crew members on board has crashed on takeoff at Ahmedabad airport on Thursday. Air India, whose numbers differed from those of the national civil aviation authority, reported that two fewer people, or 242, were on board, including crew. There were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, one Canadian national and seven Portuguese nationals on board, according to the airline. The police first said there were no survivors of those on board. However, one passenger has survived the crash and has been hospitalised, according to authorities. The plane, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed into a residential area close to the airport shortly after takeoff. Local media reported that the aircraft crashed into a medical staff hostel in Ahmedabad shortly after it left the runway. Unverified photos show the tail of the plane lodged in a building with plumes of black smoke billowing behind it. It is unclear how many were injured on the ground. Police Commissioner GS Malik said "some (residents) would have also died" in the wreckage. "Exact figures on casualties are being ascertained,' Malik added. He later told the press that at least 41 were taken to hospital for treatment. Malik also told India's ANI news agency that one of the passengers, identified by his seat number 11A, survived the crash and "has been in the hospital and is under treatment". The flight manifest made public by authorities identifies the person in seat 11A as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a UK citizen. "We received the last signal from the aircraft at 08:08:51 UTC, just seconds after takeoff," tracking website Flight Radar wrote in a post on X. The Air India flight was scheduled to arrive at 6:25 pm local time (7:25 pm CEST). Videos from the scene show a low-flying aircraft trailing flames and descending toward a residential neighbourhood before bursting into orange and black smoke. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the tragedy "heartbreaking beyond words". Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the scenes of a "London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating.' The UK Foreign Office has arranged crisis teams in India and the UK, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said. "My thoughts, and I'm sure those of the entire House, are with those who've been affected by the tragic plane crash in India this morning," Lammy told the House of Commons. "We know that British nationals were on board and I can confirm that the FCDO is working urgently with local authorities to support British nationals and their families, and has stood up a crisis team in both Delhi and in London." India's Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu said he was "shocked and devastated" when news of the crash in the Indian state of Gujarat broke. "We are on highest alert. I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action," Ram Mohan Naidu said. "Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site. My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families." The jet was 11 years old. This is the first-ever crash of a Boeing 787 aircraft, which was introduced in 2011, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. Boeing said it was aware of reports and "working to gather more information." Air India's Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran said that the company's "primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families.'
France 24
20 hours ago
- France 24
Egypt detains more than 200 activists ahead of Gaza aid march
Egyptian authorities have detained more than 200 pro-Palestinian activists in Cairo ahead of an international march aiming to break Israel 's blockade on Gaza, organisers said Thursday. Thousands of people taking part in the Global March to Gaza planned to travel to Egypt 's Rafah border crossing with the Palestinian territory on Friday to call for increased humanitarian aid access. "Over 200 participants were detained at Cairo airport or questioned at hotels across Cairo," the march's spokesperson, Saif Abukeshek, told AFP. The detainees included people from Algeria, Australia, France, Morocco, the Netherlands, Spain and the United States, he said. Plainclothes officers entered Cairo hotels on Wednesday with lists of names, questioning activists, and in some cases, confiscating phones and searching personal belongings, said Abukeshek. "After interrogations, some were arrested and others were released." At Cairo airport, some detainees were held for hours without explanation, Abukeshek said, adding others were deported, without specifying how many. More than 20 French activists who had planned to join the march were held at Cairo airport for 18 hours, he said. "What happened was completely unexpected," Abukeshek said. Footage shared with AFP showed dozens of people with their luggage crammed inside a holding room at the airport. "We're locked up here in this room with so many people -- some 30-40 people," a German national said in one video. "I called the embassy and they told me their people are trying to figure things out," she said. Another video obtained by AFP shows more than 30 people aboard a deportation flight from Cairo chanting in French: "The world is with you... Gaza... Gaza". One French traveller, who was briefly detained and released early Thursday, told AFP he had been held in a room at Cairo airport with around 15 others. Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said he saw between 50 and 60 people being stopped, including elderly people and families. The Greek contingent said in a statement that dozens of Greek nationals were among those held at Cairo airport, but were later released after 10 hours in custody. The Global March to Gaza said several people were being released after diplomatic staff arrived at Cairo airport to provide "consular assistance to the detained participants". Cairo Security Directorate chief Tarek Rashid did not respond to an AFP request for comment. Pressure After 21 months of war, Israel is facing mounting international pressure to allow more aid into Gaza, which the United Nations has dubbed "the hungriest place on Earth". Another convoy dubbed Soumoud, or steadfastness in Arabic, left the Tunisian capital on Monday, hoping to pass through divided Libya and Egypt -- which organisers say has yet to provide passage permits -- to reach Gaza. The Soumoud convoy arrived in Tripoli -- the Libyan capital controlled by the internationally recognised government -- on Wednesday. It remains uncertain whether the convoy will be allowed into eastern Libya which is controlled by rival forces loyal to military commander Khalifa Haftar. The Global March to Gaza, which is coordinating with Soumoud, said around 4,000 participants from more than 40 countries would take part in the event, with many having already arrived ahead of the Friday march. Watch more Children shot and wounded at aid distribution centre in Gaza According to the plan, participants are set to travel by bus to the city of El-Arish in the heavily secured Sinai Peninsula before walking 50 kilometres (30 miles) towards the border with Gaza. They would then camp there before returning to Cairo on June 19. Israel has called on Egyptian authorities "to prevent the arrival of jihadist protesters at the Egypt-Israel border". Such actions "would endanger the safety of (Israeli) soldiers and will not be allowed", Defence Minister Israel Katz said. In response, Egypt's foreign ministry said that while it backs efforts to put "pressure on Israel", any foreign delegations visiting the border area must receive approval through official channels. "We will continue despite what happened because the current numbers in Egypt and those expected to arrive are enough to organise this march," Abukeshek said.
