Department of State Washington File: Fact Sheet: Uprooted People at Highest Level in Seven Years, Study Shows

*EPF414 06/06/2002
Fact Sheet: Uprooted People at Highest Level in Seven Years, Study Shows
(Annual census of refugees released; 4 million left homes in 2001) (900)

An annual survey of the world's refugees and internally displaced persons released June 6 shows that more than 37 million people were uprooted in 2002, having left their homes because of conflict, famine, civil unrest and persecution. The U.S. Committee for Refugees (USCR) compiles the annual census, considered the most comprehensive global survey of its kind.

The World Refugee Survey 2002 found almost 15 million refugees and 22.5 million internally displaced persons at the beginning of the calendar year. International law defines refugees as individuals who have left their homes and crossed the border into another nation; internally displaced persons remain in their own countries but have fled their homes.

Afghanistan with 4.5 million refugees is cited as the greatest source-country, though USCR researchers say their numbers may have dropped somewhat with the returns over the last several months. Palestinians at 4.1 million are cited as the second greatest refugee population.

In releasing the 290-page survey, USCR officials expressed concern that nations of the world are allowing post-September 11 security concerns to overshadow humanitarian concerns for the displaced people of the world.

The World Refugee Survey 2002 is available in full at http://www.refugees.org/WRS2002.cfm

Other regional statistical summaries are available at http://www.refugees.org/index.cfm

Following is the text of the fact sheet summarizing the findings:

(begin fact sheet)

U.S. COMMITTEE FOR REFUGEES

June 2002

Statistical Update

Uprooted Populations Worldwide

A) Worldwide General Statistics

REFUGEES

--14.9 million refugees worldwide at start of 2002.

--400,000 more refugees than last year--a 2.7 percent increase.

--Worldwide refugee totals have increased for three consecutive years after six straight years of declining numbers.

--.7 million fewer refugees than ten years ago; 2.7 million fewer than the peak year of 1992.

--Two countries/territories are the source of more than half the world's refugees: Afghanistan, Palestinians.

--Five countries/territories are the source of two-thirds of the world's refugees: Afghanistan, Palestinians, Burma, Angola, Sudan.

--Nine countries/territories have produced three-quarters of the world's refugees: Afghanistan, Palestinians, Burma, Angola, Sudan, Burundi, Congo-Kinshasa, Eritrea, Iraq.

--12 countries/territories are each producing a quarter-million or more refugees.

--21 countries/territories are each producing 100,000 or more refugees.

--Six of the ten leading refugee-producing countries are in Africa.

INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS

--At least 22.5 million internally displaced persons worldwide at start of 2002. (Less conservative estimates by USCR run as high as 24.9 million.)

--This is the largest number of internally displaced persons in seven years, according to USCR's most conservative historical estimates.

--15 countries have a half-million or more internally displaced persons.

--23 countries have a quarter-million or more internally displaced persons.

--31 countries are each producing 100,000 or more internally displaced persons (compared to 26 such countries in 1996, and 21 such countries in 1990).

--Nearly half of the world's internally displaced persons are in Africa.

TOTAL UPROOTED PEOPLE
(Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons Combined)

--At least 37.4 million people worldwide are uprooted as refugees or internally displaced persons.

--This is the largest number of uprooted people worldwide in seven years, according to USCR's most conservative historical estimates.

--4 million or more became newly uprooted during 2001.

--61 countries/territories are sources of significant numbers of uprooted people (at least 10,000 each).

--Ten largest producers of uprooted people: Afghanistan (5.5 million); Sudan (4.4 million); Palestinians (4.1 million); Angola (2.4 million or more); Colombia (2.4 million); Congo-Kinshasa (2.3 million); Indonesia (1.4 million); Burma (1 million or more); Burundi (970,000); Sri Lanka (940,000).

--More than one-third of the world's uprooted people come from three sources: Afghanistan, Sudan, and Palestinians.

--About half of the world's uprooted people come from five sources: Afghanistan, Sudan, Palestinians, Angola, and Colombia.

--Two-thirds of the world's uprooted people originate from ten sources (listed above).

B) Worldwide Regional Comparisons: Refugees

--Middle East-6.8 million refugees; 45 percent of worldwide total.

--Africa-3 million refugees; 20 percent of worldwide total.

--South and Central Asia-2.7 million refugees; 18 percent of worldwide total.

--Europe-1.2 million refugees; 6 percent of worldwide total.

--East Asia-0.8 million refugees; 5 percent of worldwide total (up from 0.7 and 4.6 percent last year)

--Americas-0.6 million refugees; 4 percent of worldwide total.

C) Major Hosting Countries Worldwide

--Half of all refugees worldwide have fled to five countries/territories: Iran (2.5 million); Pakistan (2 million); Jordan (1.6 million); Gaza/West Bank (1.4 million); and Tanzania (0.5 million).

--The second five countries/territories hosting the largest refugee populations: United States (490,000); Yugoslavia (400,000); Syria (400,000); Lebanon (390,000); India (345,000).

--15 countries are each hosting a quarter-million or more refugees.

--26 countries/territories are each hosting 100,000 or more refugees .

--72 countries/territories are each hosting 10,000 or more refugees.

D) Repatriation Worldwide

--At least 610,000 refugees voluntarily repatriated in 2001.

--The five largest voluntary repatriations during 2001: to Afghanistan (208,000); to Sierra Leone (80,000); to Macedonia (71,000); to Somalia (40,000); to Eritrea (33,000).

--More than 1.2 million refugees have voluntarily repatriated in the past two years.

--More than 2.3 million refugees have voluntarily repatriated in the past three years.

--More than 3.9 million refugees have voluntarily repatriated in the past five years.

--14 countries each received 10,000 or more repatriating refugees during 2001.

(end text)

(end fact sheet)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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