JAKARTA - Refugee movements, migration flows, and forced displacement continue to increase on an unprecedented scale, driven by protracted conflicts, political instability, and weakening global conflict prevention mechanisms.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the total number of forcibly displaced people worldwide has exceeded 117 million, including refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced people.
In countries in the Middle East such as Palestine, Lebanon, and Iran over the past month, escalating conflicts have forced families to leave their homes, including many who already live as refugees, so they have no safe place to go.
The number of registered Palestinian refugees has reached around 5.9 million, according to the latest data from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), reflecting a significant increase from around 750,000 people initially assisted by the agency in 1950, reported by Daily Sabah (23/4).
These refugees are spread across five main operation areas. The largest population is in Jordan, with about 2.3 million registered individuals.
Then followed by the Gaza Strip, home to between 1.47 million and 1.6 million people, and the West Bank, with around 800,000 to 900,000 people.
Smaller populations are found in Syria, at around 438,000 people, and Lebanon, where estimates range from 250,000 to 500,000.
Despite the large scale of the displacement, only about a third of registered refugees, some 1.5 million people, live in the 58 camps recognized by UNRWA, while most live in urban areas and surrounding communities.
In Lebanon, recent UN and humanitarian monitoring indicates that more than 1.2 million people have been displaced since the escalation in March.
According to UNHCR, up to 3.2 million people have been displaced temporarily within Iran due to the ongoing escalation of the conflict, although the exact number of refugees still needs to be verified from various sources.
These figures and recent developments form the framework of the discussion at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, which held a panel entitled "Global Refugee Protection Systems in the Face of Refugee Crises," on Friday last week, which discussed the increasing pressure on international protection mechanisms.
The talks focused on funding gaps, political will, and the effectiveness of existing legal frameworks.
Responding to this challenge, Barham Salih of UNHCR stressed that this crisis cannot be reduced to a single reform, describing it as a multidimensional and structural crisis.
He also highlighted Turkey's role as one of the world's largest refugee hosting countries, noting the country's sustained response, especially since the Syrian crisis.
"Turkey stands out as an important example in hosting refugees. This country has hosted an unprecedented number of refugees from Syria, and before that and during that period, refugees from other communities, including Iran and Afghanistan," he said.
Furthermore, he pointed to the scale and duration of the presence of Syrian refugees, "Almost 4 million Syrian refugees are in Turkey. Currently, about 2.3 million are still left."
Salih said the scale of the shelter burdened the national system, especially in the early period of the crisis amid difficult political, social and economic conditions, "It was not easy at that time politically, socially or economically, but Turkey took steps and accommodated these communities at a time when they needed it."
He used Turkey's experience to illustrate the broader burden borne by frontline host countries in the global refugee system, particularly in contexts where displacement is protracted and international responsibility-sharing remains uneven.
Salih explained that this crisis cannot be overcome through isolated reforms due to its scale and complexity, stressing the need for increased funding amid the increasing number of refugees and shrinking humanitarian resources.
Pointing to the difficult conditions in host countries, citing Chad, where a large refugee population faces severe economic constraints, he noted that humanitarian agencies, including UNHCR and its partners, face a severe funding gap that affects basic services.
"With the current funding level, we are only able to provide 9 liters of water per person per day, far below the minimum emergency standard," he explained, adding that although efficiency can be improved, the key problem is a lack of structural funding.
This means in some places, chronic shortages have reduced access even to basic needs, forcing people to make difficult choices between using limited water for cooking, washing, or basic hygiene.
One of the main concerns highlighted is the scale of protracted displacement, with two thirds of refugees worldwide relying on long-term humanitarian assistance.
"Two-thirds of refugees are currently in protracted displacement, meaning they have remained in that state for five years or more. In some cases, this lasts for decades, as seen among the Rohingya and other populations," he said.
Countries such as Chad, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda are cited as examples of relatively progressive inclusion policies, although their financial and institutional capacity is still limited.
"These countries are very limited and cannot bear this responsibility alone. There must be a global responsibility sharing, with development assistance aimed at creating jobs, infrastructure, and economic resilience so that refugee shelters become an asset rather than a burden," he explained.
Salih called for closer coordination with the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the International Finance Corporation to support the integration of refugees, while urging the expansion of legal channels to reduce illegal migration.
Citing Syria, he pointed to the delayed international response as a factor exacerbating the displacement, arguing that earlier action could have mitigated the humanitarian consequences.
Sustainable solutions, he said, depend on the priority of peace, reconstruction, and sustainable development investment in fragile countries, with stability seen as essential for voluntary returns.
He warned against politicizing refugees, noting that refugees and migrants are often portrayed negatively in public discourse, and called for a more balanced narrative.
Salih also stressed that the refugee population also contributes economically and socially to host countries, citing Ukrainian refugees in Poland as an example of a measurable impact.
Most refugees, he added, ultimately aspire to return home when conditions permit, underlining that displacement is rarely a voluntary choice.
Particular concern has also emerged regarding the disproportionate impact on women and girls, especially in conflict settings, where vulnerabilities and protection risks increase significantly.
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