Justice

There Are More Refugees Living in Urban Areas Than in Rural Refugee Camps

A new UN report shows the urban face of global displacement.
Reuters

Earlier this week, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees released its annual report [PDF] on the world's refugees and displaced peoples. By the end of 2011, there were roughly 42.5 million people worldwide who were either refugees, internally displaced in their own countries, or in the process of seeking asylum in other countries.

Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia are the sources of the highest numbers of refugees worldwide. Pakistan, Iran and Syria are the top refugee-hosting countries.