Over 122 million forcibly displaced worldwide 'untenably high': UN

The number of people forcibly displaced from their homes worldwide has dropped slightly from a record high but remains "untenably high", the United Nations said on June 12.

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GENEVA - The number of people forcibly displaced from their homes worldwide has dropped slightly from a record high but remains "untenably high", the United Nations said on June 12.

A record 123.2 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced from their homes at the end of 2024, said UNHCR, the UN refugee agency.

That figure dropped to 122.1 million by the end of April 2025, as Syrians began returning home after years of turmoil.

Nearly two million Syrians have been able to return home from abroad or from displacement within the war-ravaged country.

But the UN agency has warned that how major conflicts worldwide played out would determine whether the figure would rise once again.

The agency said the number of people displaced by war, violence and persecution worldwide was "untenably high", particularly in a period when humanitarian funding is evaporating.