UN refugee chief warns the Security Council of a rising tide of forced displacement
On 25 September 2026, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees briefed the Security Council on the growing scale of forced displacement worldwide, driven by wars, environmental emergencies and human-made disasters.
The figures are stark: 41.6 million refugees, 5.9 million Palestine refugees served by UNRWA and 68.7 million people internally displaced by conflict and violence. Around 68% of refugees are hosted by low- and middle-income countries, which carry most of the burden with the fewest resources.
The High Commissioner warned that funding cuts are sharply reducing the number of people UN agencies can help. Crises in Sudan, Ukraine, Gaza and Yemen, together with the protracted displacement of the Rohingya, overlap and reinforce one another, while humanitarian budgets shrink.
Behind each number there is a family forced to leave everything behind. The briefing is a reminder that the 1951 Refugee Convention is not a formality but a commitment of solidarity, and that the causes of displacement, war, inequality and climate breakdown, will not be solved without political will.