Record number of displaced people despite COVID

(FASTNEWS | COLOMBO) – The number of people who have been forced to flee their homes around the world has risen to a record 82 million despite the impact of the pandemic, the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR) says.

The total has doubled in a decade and means more than 1% of the world’s population is displaced.

The pandemic had led to a significant reduction in asylum applications and overall migration, the UNHCR said.

But the 11.2 million people displaced last year was still more than in 2019.

Many were forced to flee because of persecution, conflict, violence and human rights violations.

The vast majority were internally displaced, with travel restrictions leaving them less able to cross international borders.