More than 13 million Syrians forcibly displaced – U.N. official

Asylum-seekers from Syria, including children, arrive on the shores of the island of Lesbos, in the North Aegean region of Greece – UNICEF
Asylum-seekers from Syria, including children, arrive on the shores of the island of Lesbos, in the North Aegean region of Greece – UNICEF

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A United Nations official said on Thursday that over 13 million Syrians are forcibly displaced in 137 countries.

“More than 13 million Syrians are forcibly displaced,” said Najat Rochdi, U.N. Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, on X Platform (formerly Twitter).

“In 2023 alone, 174,000 more were displaced within Syria, bringing total to 7.2 million internally displaced, & 6.5 million refugees & asylum-seekers,” Rochdi added. 

The U.N. official indicated that “Syrians remained forcibly displaced in 137 countries.”    

According to the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Syria remains the largest displacement crisis in the world with over 12 million Syrians displaced.

On the occasion of the World Refugee Day, observed on June 20 of every year, Rochdi pointed that the suffering of the forcibly displaced people must “drive the international community to urgently address the root causes of forced displacement.”

On May 30, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said more than 19 million people, including six million Syrians, in neighboring countries require some form of humanitarian and development support.

Millions of Syrians continue to be affected by ongoing hostilities, water and food shortages, protection issues, and lack of access to basic services, the IOM added.  

By Ster Youssef