U.N. News: U.N. refugee chief laments nearly 80 million people forcibly displaced
“Global displacement reached a staggering 79.5 million people last year — almost double the number of people in crisis registered a decade ago — owing to war, violence, persecution, and other emergencies, the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Thursday. … ‘This almost 80 million figure — the highest that UNHCR has recorded since these statistics have been systematically collected, is of course a reason for great concern. This is approximately one percent of the world’s population, we have never reached this very significant percentage,’ UNHCR High Commissioner Filippo Grandi said, his comments coinciding with World Refugee Day, being marked this coming Saturday…” (6/18).

Additional coverage of the UNHCR announcement and other refugee issues is available from AP, PRI, and The Telegraph.