Ukraine war drove biggest rise in displaced persons in decades

Refugees fleeing war in Ukraine gather at the Medyka border crossing in Poland in March 2022. Photograph: Daniel Cole/AP

The war in Ukraine has driven the largest annual increase of people forcibly displaced by persecution, conflict, violence and human rights violations in decades, according to the United Nations refugee agency.

In 2022, the number of displaced people grew by 21%, standing at an estimated 108.4 million at the end of the year. That likely rose to over 110 million people in May 2023, with Russia’s ongoing invasion and the war in Sudan being the biggest drivers of the growth, according to a report released on Wednesday by UNHCR.