GENEVA, October 25. /TASS/. The number of refugees and internally displaced persons who fled their homes due to wars, persecution and natural disasters exceeded 114 million worldwide at the end of September, the Geneva headquarters of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported.

"The number of forcibly displaced grew by 4 million, bringing the total to 114 million," the statement reads.

Among the key drivers of population displacement in the first half of 2023 the UNHCR named events in Ukraine, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Myanmar; "a combination of drought, floods and insecurity in Somalia; and a prolonged humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan."

"The world’s focus now is - rightly - on the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza (Strip - TASS). But globally, far too many conflicts are proliferating or escalating, shattering innocent lives and uprooting people," UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said. "The international community’s inability to solve conflicts or prevent new ones is driving displacement and misery," he noted, calling for countries to "work together to end conflicts and allow refugees and other displaced people to return home or restart their lives."

According to the UNHCR, by the end of June 2023 there were 110 million "forcibly displaced" people, which represents 1.6 million more than at the end of 2022. Over half of all displaced people "never cross an international border." According to UNHCR estimates, "the number of forcibly displaced grew by 4 million, bringing the total to 114 million."

These estimates do not factor in the population displacement that occurred due to escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, the UNHCR pointed out.