The number of people fleeing Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began less than two weeks ago has risen quickly. On Monday, the United Nations said 1.7 million people have fled the country so far, and estimated that the number may reach 4 million. The head of the U.N. refugee agency said Sunday it is likely the fastest exodus of people in Europe since World War II.
Most of those evacuating are women and children, as men between the ages of 18 and 60 have been ordered to stay and defend the nation.
The Ukrainian refugees who have had to leave their homes join millions of others around the world who have been displaced by conflict, violence or insecurity. More than 34.4 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced from their homeland as of the end of 2020, and 48 million more were displaced internally, according to data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Here are some of the places facing significant external displacement.
Syria – 6.7 Million
The Syrian civil war has driven “unprecedented devastation and displacement” since it began in 2011, according to the United Nations refugee agency. Syria has the largest number of refugees in the world at 6.7 million, according to the U.N.
Palestinians – 5.7 million
Though not labeled refugees under the mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 5.7 million Palestinians are considered refugees under the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, or UNRWA, which operates in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and Gaza.
UNRWA cites the toll of “more than 50 years of Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory, including the more than ten years of the Gaza blockade,” as well as the conflict in Syria, which has displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees, many fleeing to Jordan and Lebanon.
Venezuela – 4 million
Venezuela has been wrought with political instability and a dire economic crisis over the past few years, leading millions of Venezuelans to flee their homes in search of safety and stability. Though they do not fall under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ definition of refugees, nearly 4 million people from the country were displaced abroad at the end of 2020, the U.N. said.
Afghanistan – 2.6 million
Refugees have been fleeing Afghanistan for decades, and the situation quickly escalated with the withdrawal of U.S. troops in August 2021. There were roughly 2.6 million Afghan refugees at the end of 2020, according to the United Nations. Tens of thousands of people, many of whom worked to support the U.S. military, have been evacuated into the U.S. since last year.
South Sudan – 2.2 million
Conflict and insecurity have forced millions out of their homes in South Sudan, which is the site of Africa’s largest refugee crisis, according to the United Nations. Officials have been overwhelmed by the crisis for years, which, in part, was spawned by a civil war that broke out after South Sudan officially became a nation in 2011.
As of the end of 2020, according to the U.N., the country has produced 2.2 million refugees.
Myanmar – 1.1 million
More than 1.1 million refugees had fled Myanmar as of the end of 2020. Like many nations facing refugee crises, Myanmar is also struggling with internal displacement — in February 2022, the United Nations said the number of internally displaced people there has doubled since the year prior. The refugee crisis has stemmed largely from violence against Rohingya Muslims, which prompted hundreds of thousands of people to flee in recent years.
