NEW figures for the number of displaced people worldwide released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) were branded “an epic failure of humanity” by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) today as world leaders were urged to act.
Nearly three million people fled war, violence and persecution last year, despite the pandemic, taking the total number displaced to over 82 million, according to the UNHCR global trends report released in Geneva.
The figures indicate a rise of 4 per cent from the previous record high in 2019.
MAISSON HASSAN highlights how amid bombed-out cities and collapsing hospitals, women-led initiatives are keeping communities alive
Britain’s proud asylum history, from sheltering the Kindertransport escaping Hitler to Basque children fleeing fascist Spain, required tireless campaigning against persistent opposition — and it’s up to all of us to do our part today, writes SABINA PRICE


