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Updated July 23, 2021
Overview of the Global Humanitarian and Displacement Crisis

Humanitarian and displacement crises worldwidehave
become significantly worse in the past five years. The
ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic
has exacerbated humanitarian need. In addition, the
lockdowns and economic recession caused by the pandemic
created far-reaching secondary impacts such as increased
food insecurity, gender-based violence, and poverty, and
reduced access to education andhealth. The UnitedNations
(U.N.) anticipates thatglobally more than 238 million
people will require humanitarian assistance and protection
due to conflict, disaster, and thepandemic in 2021 (a near
30% increase over 2020). The United States is the single
largest humanitarian and emergency food assistance donor,
consistently providing nearly one-third of total as sistance
worldwide (more than $9.6billion in FY2021, excluding
American Relief Plan Act funds).
Types of Crises and Affected Populations
As oflate 2020 (latest global data available), more than
82.4 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide due
to armed conflict, widespread or indiscriminate violence, or
human rights violations. According to the United Nations,
those displaced included 26.4 million refugees, 4.1 million
asylumseekers, 48 million Internally Displaced Persons
(IDPs), and 3.9 million Venezuelans displaced abroad. An
estimated 10 million people remained stateless. (See
definitions ofkey populations of concern below.)
Key Populations of Concern
Asylum-seekers, who flee their home country, seek
sanctuary in another state where they applyfor asylum (i.e.,
the right to be recognized as a refugee). They may receive
legal protection and assistance while their formal status is
determined.
Refugees, who have fled their country of origin because of a
well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion,
nationality, or membership in a particular social or political
group. Refugees are unwilling or unable to avail themselves of
the protection of their home government due to fears of
persecution. Once granted refugee status, a person has
certain rights and protections under international law.
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), who have been
forced from their homes, often for many of the same reasons
as refugees, but have not crossed an international border.
Stateless persons, who are not considered to be citizens of
any state under national laws.
Vulnerable migrants, who are often forced to flee
circumstances in their country of origin (such as generalized
violence, food insecurity, and environmental change) but do
not qualify as refugees.

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Natural dis asters and climate-related impacts further affect
millions of people a year. They oftenrequire urgent and
prolonged assistance due to sudden events (such as
earthquakes or storms) or protracted ones (like drought
conditions). On average, dis asters displace 26 million
people annually.
Some populations move voluntarily, while others haveto
flee. Economic migrants, who oftenleave poverty and
unemploymentto seekbetter livelihood opportunities or
family reunification, numbered approximately 281 million
in 2020 (roughly 3.6% ofthe world's population). Refugees
and others forcibly displaced, including vulnerable
migrants, often face a different set of circumstances. They
are forced to leave theirhomes forreasons such as ethnic
strife, violence, human rights violations, or natural
disasters. In 2020, more than two-thirds (68%) of all
refugees and Venezuelans displaced abroad came fromfive
countries (the same reported in 2019): Syria, Venezuela,
Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Burma. (See Figure 1 for
worldwide snapshot of forced displacement.)
Figure 1. Refugees/Asylum Seekers and IDPs
Refugees and asvlum-seekers

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Source: Created by CRS usingglobal dataavailable from UN HCR.
Notes: Smallest map values begin at 470,000.
US. Policy
The United States is a major contributor to international
humanitarian relief efforts, with funding provided through
the U.S. Agency for International Development, the
.congress.gov

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