The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the vulnerability of refugees and migrants worldwide. That's a key message of this year's World Risk Report (WRR), whose focus is on "Forced Displacement & Migration".
The UN Migration Agency IOM has joined with various groups to produce a music video in order to "celebrate the extraordinary contributions of displaced people and migrants to our world."
Around 79.5 million people were displaced last year, more than ever before, the United Nations has revealed. And displaced people are finding it even harder to return to their home countries.
The UN refugee agency has warned that thousands of refugees and internally displaced people in the Democratic Republic of Congo are at risk due to a lack of funds needed to support them amid conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than a thousand people – a mix of refugees from Mali, displaced Niger nationals and local host communities – have fled their home area in western Niger after an attack which killed three people and wounded others, UNHCR said in a statement Tuesday.
A top refugee council slammed members of the UN Security Council for employing "kindergarten politics" at a time of global crisis. The UN’s refugee commissioner told DW "decisive action" is needed for displaced people.
UNHCR has warned that the consequences of coronavirus are taking a "huge toll" on the mental health of refugees, displaced and stateless people and urged countries to make responding to this a priority.
In a new report, UNICEF said that in 2019 about 19 million children were living displaced in their own country due to conflicts and violence. This figure is the highest number ever of internally displaced children.
The Vatican has launched an appeal for aid and protection for the 50 million people in the world who are internally displaced in their countries due to wars and disasters. In a document, it is asking that these people not be forgotten by their countries and the international community.
The UN reports that fear of the coronavirus pushes thousands of displaced Syrians in the country's northwest to return to their homes after fleeing in recent months.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 200,000 people have been displaced in the past 12 months. The coronavirus pandemic appears to further complicate the situation in the war-torn country.
No soap, hardly any water and no space for quarantine: In the Idlib region of Syria, there is growing concern over the possible spread of coronavirus. A women's center there is trying to educate people.