Global forced displacement tops 50 million for first time in post-World War II era. A report released by UNHCR in June 2014 shows that the number of refugees, asylum-seekers, and internally displaced people worldwide has, for the first time in the post-World War II era, exceeded 50 million people.
UNHCR's annual Global Trends report, which is based on data compiled by governments, non­ governmental partner organizations, and from the organization's own records, shows 51.2 million people were forcibly displaced at the end of 2013, fully six million more than the 45.2 million reported in 2012.
This massive increase was driven mainly by the war in Syria, which at the end of last year had forced 2.5 million people into becoming refugees and made 6.5 million internally displaced. Major new displacement was also seen in Africa - notably in Central African Republic, and towards the end of 2013 in South Sudan too.