By Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Margaret Besheer
Published on 2024-01-19 21:01:02
In the 2020s, the world has faced numerous challenges, starting with the COVID-19 pandemic and followed by climate disasters and conflicts that have affected millions of people. The U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reported that 2023 was an especially difficult year, with 43 emergency declarations in 29 countries, marking the highest number of emergencies in a decade.
Last year, Turkey and Syria were struck by deadly earthquakes, while Cyclone Mocha caused destruction in Myanmar and Bangladesh, and Sudan experienced internal armed conflict. These new crises, combined with ongoing unresolved situations, stretched UNHCR’s capacity to respond. The agency director emphasized the urgent need for humanitarian assistance and protection in the face of a surge of displacement and human suffering.
Globally, there were a record 114 million refugees and displaced people in 2023, with the number expected to reach 130 million in the following year. Despite raising over $5 billion, including $4.6 billion for emergencies and protracted crises, UNHCR faced a $400 million shortfall that prevented them from reaching everyone targeted for assistance.
The emergencies were widespread and devastating, affecting millions of people around the world. In Turkey and Syria, nearly 24 million people were impacted by the earthquakes, while flash floods in Libya affected 900,000 people. Cyclone Mocha affected more than 10 million people in Bangladesh and Myanmar, and the armed conflict in Sudan led to the displacement of over 7 million people.
Additional challenges in 2023 included the need to provide humanitarian assistance to more than 100,000 Afghans after earthquakes and the deportation of undocumented Afghans from Pakistan. In Central and South America, over half a million refugees and migrants embarked on a dangerous journey to North America through the Darien passage.
Moreover, ongoing unresolved disputes led to further emergencies, such as the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the fighting in the eastern Congo, which affected more than 7 million people. Despite these challenges, UNHCR launched a rapid response to these crises, reaching nearly 17 million vulnerable and needy people with essential shelter supplies and other relief items in 2023.
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