UNITED NATIONS — The war in Iraq and the conflicts in Colombia, Somalia and the Darfur region of Sudan have driven an increase in the global population of refugees and the displaced, according to a report by the U.N.
The number of refugees climbed for the second consecutive year, rising from 9.9 million to 11.4 million, following a decade-long decline in the global refugee population. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees assisted more than 25 million people last year, including 13.7 million displaced within their own country, marking an “unprecedented” peak in the agency’s operations, according to its 2007 Global Trends report.
The number of refugees from Africa continued a decade-long decline, dropping 6 percent last year, as more than 1.5 million returned to their homes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Southern Sudan, Liberia and Burundi.
Pakistan, Iran, Syria and Jordan shoulder the heaviest burden, together playing host to nearly 5 million refugees, mostly Afghans and Iraqis.
