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The world is grappling with an unprecedented displacement crisis. As of mid-2024, an estimated 122.6 million people have been forcibly displaced—including 43.7 million refugees—highlighting the immense and growing scale of global forced migration.
Yet, even as needs escalate, international funding is shrinking, leaving millions without access to life-saving support. The chronic nature of many displacement crises demands more than just emergency aid. Experts stress the urgent need for long-term, sustainable solutions that empower refugees and support the communities that host them.
On Thursday, members of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), along with UN agencies, civil society representatives, and other stakeholders, met to explore innovative, durable approaches to refugee protection and assistance. The focus was on enhancing refugee self-reliance, promoting their inclusion in national systems, and strengthening host communities—all while aligning efforts with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Addressing the gathering, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi outlined four key challenges. He noted that over the past decade, the number of forcibly displaced people has doubled, driven largely by protracted and impunity-fueled conflicts.
“Wars are being waged with total disregard for international humanitarian law,” said Grandi. “Civilians are directly targeted or severely impacted—leaving them no choice but to flee.”
He also drew attention to the complex intersection between conflict-driven displacement and climate change. While not all climate-induced movements qualify for refugee status, disasters, hunger, and poverty are increasingly pushing people across borders.
Grandi underscored the growing politicization of displacement, which now extends beyond humanitarian concerns. “Today’s displacement crises are not just humanitarian—they are deeply political, and that makes them harder to resolve,” he warned.
At the same time, humanitarian funding is in decline, further straining an already overstretched response system.
The meeting will culminate in a “Call to Action” to be issued by the President of ECOSOC, offering concrete recommendations for the international community to adopt more sustainable, inclusive, and coordinated strategies for addressing displacement.
As the world faces mounting displacement and diminishing resources, the need for global solidarity, long-term thinking, and political will has never been greater.
