Globally, more two-thirds of all refugees come from five countries: Syria (6.7 million), Afghanistan (2.7 million), South Sudan (2.3 million), Myanmar (1.1 million), and Somalia (0.9 million).
The first Global Refugee Forum (GRF) is currently underway in Geneva, Switzerland, jointly hosted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Refugee Agency, and the Government of Switzerland.
At the two-day event, member states of the United Nations (UN) are debating the response of nations to the global refugee situation.
Global refugee numbers
According to the UN, by the end of 2018, there were around 70.8 million people around the world who had left their home countries because of conflict and persecution. Of these 70.8 million, roughly 30 million are refugees.
The UN defines refugees as those individuals that have fled their own countries because of persecution, war or violence.
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