Refugees — people who have fled their home countries due to conflict, violence, persecution, or human rights violations — now number 43.4 million globally, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in its latest Global Trends report. This represents a 7% increase, mainly driven by new displacements from the conflict in Sudan and updated reporting from other countries.
Each year, the United Nations and people worldwide recognize the plight of refugees on June 20, World Refugee Day. Explore the challenges faced by refugees and find out more about the global refugee crisis.
Refugees: Facts, FAQs, and how to help
- Fast facts: Refugees
- What is the definition of a refugee?
- How are refugees different from asylum-seekers, internally displaced people, and migrants?
- How many people are displaced in the world?
- What are the top refugee crises in the world?
- What rights and obligations do refugees have under international law?
- How many children have become refugees?
- How does World Vision get access to refugee contexts?
- What is World Vision doing to help refugees?
- What are some of the groups of refugees and displaced people World Vision supports?
- How can I help refugees?
Fast facts: Refugees
- In 2023, 117.3 million people were forcibly displaced, including refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced people. By April 2024, this number had surpassed 120 million, according to UNHCR’s Global Trends report.
- 6.9 million people are asylum seekers (seeking refugee status), and 68.3 million are internally displaced.
- One in every 69 people (1.5% of the global population) is now forcibly displaced. This is a significant increase — nearly double the 1 in 125 a decade ago.
- Syria leads in terms of numbers with 13.8 million people forcibly displaced within and outside of its borders.
- The burden of hosting forcibly uprooted populations falls heavily on low- and middle-income countries, which shelter 75% of the world’s refugees and other displaced people.
- 40% of all forcibly displaced people are children.
Open the door to hope for refugee children.
What is the definition of a refugee?
Refugees are people who have been forced to flee their home countries because of persecution, conflict, violence, or other circumstances that place them in need of international protection. Under international law, anyone who meets these criteria is a refugee, although a host country may require asylum seekers to establish a well-founded fear of danger before formally granting them refugee status. The 1951 Refugee Convention outlines refugees’ rights, including the right to non-refoulement — the right of a person not to be returned to a country where they may be persecuted. Refugee protections do not extend to people who have committed serious crimes or pose a security threat.
How are refugees different from asylum seekers, internally displaced people, and migrants?
- Refugees are people who flee their home country because of danger or persecution and because they are not protected by their country’s government. A person may fit this definition before being formally granted refugee status.
- Asylum seekers are people who’ve applied for protection — refugee status — on arrival in a country besides their own.
- Internally displaced people (IDPs) are people displaced by conflict, violence, or natural disasters within their home country.
- Migrants are people who move from their usual place of residence, whether internally or internationally, regardless of their legal status or reasons for moving. Although there is no formal legal definition, experts agree on this classification.
How many people are displaced in the world?
The number of people forcibly displaced due to conflict, violence, human rights violations, and persecution has exceeded 120 million, including refugees and people who are displaced within their own countries, according to UNHCR estimates.
What are the top refugee crises in the world?
Afghanistan and Syria had the largest number of refugees globally, with 6.4 million each, making up one-third of all refugees under UNHCR’s mandate. Following closely were Venezuela with 6.1 million refugees and Ukraine with 6 million refugees.
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What rights and obligations do refugees have under international law?
Refugees have the right to safe asylum and not to be returned to possible persecution in their country of origin. According to the 1951 Refugee Convention, they are entitled to the basic rights of any other foreigner in the host country, especially the right to practice their religion, pursue education, and move about freely. They must follow and respect the laws of the country that accepts them.
Sometimes an influx of refugees is sudden and immense. Refugee camps are set up to provide temporary shelter and safety for them. Aid groups can deliver food, water, and other services in these camps. As time goes on, they sometimes become thriving communities.
How many children have become refugees?
An estimated 47 million children are refugees. That number is disproportionately high: Although children make up less than a third of the global population, they accounted for more than 40% of the world’s refugees in 2023. Approximately 2 million children were born as refugees between 2018 and 2023.
How does World Vision get access to refugee contexts?
Through our presence in nearly 100 countries, World Vision is well-positioned to meet the needs of displaced people, whether they are in their own country or living as refugees. We coordinate humanitarian activities with national governments and other aid organizations to achieve the best outcomes for people affected by refugee crises.
What is World Vision doing to help refugees?
We are supporting refugees around the world through:
- Emergency relief, including access to food, clean water, shelter, and other essentials refugees need when displaced by conflict or disaster
- Child protection programs and Child-Friendly Spaces where kids can play, learn life skills, and experience everyday childhood interactions while also receiving psychosocial support to help them and their families navigate the difficulties of displacement
- Education support for refugee children, helping ensure they have the opportunity to learn in safe environments during displacement
- Livelihoods training and cash-for-work programs, focusing on empowering families to thrive and become self-sufficient.
We also partner with local communities and governments, local churches, and international organizations like United Nations agencies — including the World Food Programme (WFP) and the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) — to go beyond responding to immediate needs and support communities for long-term development.
What are some of the groups of refugees and displaced people that World Vision supports?
We support millions of people affected by forced displacement across regions such as Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, South America, and beyond. The following are some of the groups we support:
Syrian refugees and displaced people
At the end of 2023, 6.4 million Syrian refugees were residing in other countries, slightly fewer than at the end of 2022. Since the conflict started in 2011, the majority of Syrian refugees have been living in the Middle East, particularly in Turkey (officially the Republic of Türkiye).
World Vision works in Syria and has also supported more than 7.8 million children in the surrounding region, including in Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon. The 2023 earthquake in Syria and Turkey further complicated the situation, impacting internally displaced Syrians and Syrian refugees living in Turkey. In partnership with local organizations, World Vision has initiated 39 projects, including healthcare services, health and nutrition assistance, education programs, and psychological support sessions in schools. These critical efforts assisted more than 1.8 million people within the first year of our response.
Ukrainian refugees and displaced people
World Vision has been responding since the onset of the war in Ukraine in late February 2022. Our dedicated staff in the region swiftly assisted refugees crossing into Romania, offering essentials such as food, shelter, cash assistance, and protection against trafficking. Continuing our response, we’ve partnered with churches and local organizations to support displaced families and their host communities in Romania, Moldova, Georgia, and Ukraine. We’ve supported over 1.8 million people in the region with crucial resources like emergency food assistance, hygiene kits, child protection programs, and more as of April 2024.
Our support extends beyond immediate relief, including assistance designed to meet long-term needs. For example, our staff are providing psychosocial support and tailored educational programs to address the unique needs of affected children and families.
Sudanese refugees and displaced people
Since conflict escalated in mid-April 2023, Sudan has faced one of the world’s most rapidly evolving crises. This conflict has led to the loss of thousands of lives and the displacement of over 12 million people, including nearly 5 million children. Food insecurity is likely to worsen as violence spreads across Sudan, forcing more people to flee to neighboring countries.
World Vision, one of the largest humanitarian aid organizations in Sudan, has served children, families, and communities in the country from 1983 to 1988 and from 2004 onwards. Since April 2023, our emergency assistance programs in Sudan have supported over 1.8 million people, predominantly women and children, focusing on food security, child protection, health and nutrition, and sanitation and hygiene.
Refugees and displaced people abroad impacted by the crisis in Venezuela
Since 2014, millions of Venezuelans have left their country seeking food, work, and a better life. World Vision supports affected children and families with food and nutritional assistance, access to clean water, and essential health and education services in nearby countries such as Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Peru.
In Venezuela, we’re working with partner organizations to empower families to improve their children’s lives. Our efforts have supported over 2.1 million people from 2019 to March 2024.
Jasmina and her family, including her children (shown above), embarked on a years-long journey from Venezuela in search of better living conditions. They traveled hundreds of miles through Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, enduring nights of sleeping on the streets. After four years, Jasmina made the difficult decision to return to Venezuela. She expressed heartfelt gratitude for the support from World Vision, who provided her family transportation home, easing their journey and leaving a lasting impact.
“Without that help, the return would have been very difficult,” Jasmina says. “We were already tired and without strength. With World Vision, the burden was significantly reduced.”
Rohingya refugees
Since 2017, the Rohingya people have endured violence, persecution, and human rights violations in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, prompting many to seek refuge elsewhere. The majority of Rohingya refugees have crossed the border into neighboring Bangladesh.
World Vision has been delivering crucial assistance in Bangladesh since the onset of the crisis. In 2023, we supported 420,749 people living in overcrowded camps in Cox’s Bazar. Our ongoing work encompasses 34 camps, providing essential aid such as food, clean water, sanitation facilities, and shelter, as well as addressing gender-based violence and child protection. By working in these challenging circumstances, we strive to alleviate suffering and address the critical needs of the Rohingya people.
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Venezuela crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help
Syria refugee crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help
