Record 120 million people forcibly displaced as of May 2024: UNHCR report

June 20 marks World Refugee Day, designated in 2001 by the United Nations General Assembly to remind the world that millions remain forcibly displaced from their homes.

A recent United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) report shows that as of May 2024, a record-breaking 120 million people have been displaced by war, violence and persecution around the world. Tragically, the figure also marked the 12th consecutive annual increase.

The countries and areas worst affected include Palestine, Syria, Sudan, Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the report showed.

By the end of last year, the war in Gaza had displaced up to 1.7 million people, comprising 75 percent of the population, with most being Palestine refugees, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) estimates.

Syria continues to experience the world's largest displacement crisis, with 13.8 million people forcibly displaced both within and outside the country.

Meanwhile, by the end of 2023, 10.8 million Sudanese remained uprooted. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Myanmar, millions were internally displaced last year due to ruthless fighting.

The UN report also revealed that over 5 million internally displaced people and 1 million refugees globally returned home in 2023, indicating some progress towards longer-term solutions.

Record 120 million people forcibly displaced as of May 2024: UNHCR report

China recorded over 278 million cross-regional trips on Sunday, the sixth day of China's week-long National Day holiday, the data from the Ministry of Transport showed.

The figure was a decrease of 1 percent compared to the previous day, a 5.2-percent-increase compared to the same period in 2023, and a 24.8-percent-increase compared to the same period in 2019 before the COVID-19 outbreak.

According to the ministry, over 18.524 million trips were made by railway on Sunday, an increase of 3.6 percent from the previous day. The figure was an increase of 8.6 percent compared to the same period in 2023, and an increase of 26.6 percent compared to the same period in 2019.

The road passenger volume reached 256.7 million, a 1.2-percent-decrease from the previous day. The figure was an increase of 5.1 percent compared to the same period in 2023, and a 25.1-percent-increase compared to the same period in 2019.

Water transport saw a total of 1,182,400 trips, down 25.1 percent from the previous day. The figure was a decrease of 23.3 percent from the same period in 2023, and a decrease of 24.2 percent from the same period in 2019.

The civil aviation sector handled 2,357,300 trips, reflecting a 1.8-percent-increase from the previous day. The figure was a 9.6-percent-increase from the same period in 2023, and a 21.2-percent-growth from the same period in 2019.

China records over 278 mln cross-regional trips on sixth day of National Day holiday