According to UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as of the end of 2014 there were 19.5 million refugees (those forced to enter another country), 38.2 million internally displaced persons (those driven from their homes but still in their country), 1.8 million asylum-seekers: 59.5 million. This is the highest number of worldwide displaced that the UNHCR has ever recorded.
13.9 million of those were newly displaced (11 million internally displaced, 2.9 million refugees).
UNHCR was created by the UN in 1950 to lead and coordinate international work to protect refugees and solve refugee-related problems throughout the world. It works to make sure people can claim asylum and integrate into another nation, or return home voluntarily or resettled elsewhere. It also works to help stateless persons (those not recognized as citizens by any country).
UNHCR report for 2014 may be found here:
http://unhcr.org/556725e69.html
If the report seems a bit overwhelming to consider, here’s a UNHCR summary the report:
http://www.unhcr.org/558193896.html
Or an article about it from today’s Washington Post:
