the private sector, and academics will jointly assess progress made over recent years and propose new solutions at a Global Refugee Forum Review meeting taking place from Monday to Wednesday. Donor commitments are also expected, as the UN refugee agency faces a severe funding crisis.

The number of people forcibly displaced worldwide has nearly doubled over the past decade, reaching 117.3 million, while funding for international aid has declined sharply, particularly following Donald Trump’s return to the White House. The United States previously contributed more than 40 percent of the UNHCR budget, but funding cuts by Washington since January, combined with reduced contributions from other major donor countries, have forced the organisation to eliminate nearly 5,000 jobs—more than a quarter of its workforce. “Now is not the moment to step back—it is the moment to strengthen partnerships and send a clear message to refugees and host countries: you are not alone,” said Nicolas Brass, head of UNHCR’s Global Compact on Refugees section. The number of people forced to flee persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations, and serious unrest rose in 2024 to a record 123.2 million, including refugees, internally displaced persons, and asylum seekers. By the end of last year, just over one-third came from Sudan (14.3 million), Syria (13.5 million), Afghanistan (10.3 million), or Ukraine (8.8 million). “Across countries and communities, support for refugees continues,” Brass said, adding that two-thirds of the pledges made at the last Global Refugee Forum were “fulfilled or in progress.” Bssnews)