UNHCR faces difficult moments due to ongoing conflicts, displacements

Filippo Grandi, the Commissioner of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said on Monday that the agency faces one of the most difficult moments in its more than 70-year history as record displacements coincide with funding shortfalls and a “short-sighted” focus on border controls.

According to global statistics, conflicts from Ukraine to Sudan have contributed to the displacement of some 110 million people around the globe.

“The displacement crisis comes at a time when many governments, including once-welcoming ones like Germany, are under pressure to get tougher on asylum seekers as the far-right gains ground”, the UN refugee agency added.

Grandi urged countries to respect the rights of those fleeing conflict or persecution guaranteed under the 1951 Refugee Convention.