In December last year, the overthrow of the Assad regime by opposition forces reignited hope that most Syrians could see home again soon. As of May, 500,000 refugees and 1.2 million internally displaced people (IDPs) returned to their areas of origin.

But that’s not the only reason Syria is no longer the largest displacement crisis in the world.

Sudan sets a grim record

More than two years of civil war in Sudan has seen it pass Syria with 14.3 million people displaced since April 2022, 11.6 million of whom are internally displaced – that’s one-third of the entire Sudanese population, representing the largest internal displacement crisis ever recorded.

The UN refugee agency’s (UNHCR) latest report released Wednesday highlights the sheer scale of the problem, noting “untenably high” displacements – but it also contains “rays of hope,” despite the immediate impact of aid cuts in capitals around the world this year.

“We are living at a time of intense volatility in international relations, with modern warfare creating a fragile, harrowing landscape marked by acute human suffering,” said High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

A place to live in peace

By the end of 2024, 123.2 million people worldwide were displaced, representing a decade-high number, largely driven by protracted conflicts in Sudan, Myanmar and Ukraine.

73.5 million people worldwide have fled within their own countries, and of the 42.7 million refugees living beyond their borders, 73 per cent are hosted in low and middle-income countries, with 67 per cent are hosted in neighbouring countries.

Sadeqa and her son are refugees who have faced repeated displacement. They fled from Myanmar after Sadeqa’s husband was killed in 2024. In Bangladesh, they lived in a refugee camp for Rohingya Muslims, but the camp was overcrowded, leading them to flee again via boat.

She got on the boat not knowing where it was going. Ultimately, the vessel was rescued after weeks at sea, and now, she and her son live in Indonesia.

“We are searching for a place where we can live in peace,” Sadeqa said.

There are countless stories like hers. However, at the same time, Mr. Grandi said that there were “rays of hope” in the report. This year, 188,800 refugees were permanently resettled into host countries in 2024, the highest number in 40 years.

Moreover, 9.8 million people returned home in 2024, including 1.6 million refugees and 8.2 million internally displaced people mostly in Afghanistan and Syria.

‘Long-lasting solutions’

While 8.2 million IDPs returning home represents the second-largest single year tally on record, the report noted continuing challenges for returnees.

For example, many of the Afghan and Haitian refugees who returned home in the past year were deported from their host countries.

The report emphasized that returns must be voluntary and that the dignity and safety of the returner must be upheld once they reach their area of origin. This requires long-term peace-building and broader sustainable development progress.

“The search for peace must be at the heart of all efforts to find long-lasting solutions for refugees and others forced to flee their homes,” Mr. Grandi said.

‘Brutal’ funding cuts

In the last decade, the number of people who have been forcibly displaced worldwide has doubled but funding levels for UNHCR remain largely unchanged.

The report explained that this lack of increased funding endangers already vulnerable displaced communities and further destabilizes regional peace.

“The situation is untenable, leaving refugees and others fleeing danger even more vulnerable,” UNHCR said. 

The warning comes amidst increased violence and a worsening food security condition which has 11 out of 13 counties in the state facing emergency levels of hunger and 32,000 of these inhabitants facing catastrophic level hunger conditions, almost three times previous estimates.

“We are seeing the devastating impact conflict has on food security in South Sudan,” said Mary-Ellen McGroarty, Country Director for the World Food Programme (WFP) in South Sudan.

“Conflict doesn’t just destroy homes and livelihoods, it tears communities apart, cuts off access to markets, and sends food prices spiralling upward,” Ms. McGroarty said.

Country-wide hunger

In total, 7.7 million people across South Sudan will face acute food insecurity, accounting for over half of the entire population. Additionally, 2.3 million children in South Sudan face malnutrition, a rise from 2.1 million at the beginning of the year. 

FAO expects these numbers to increase as the country prepares to enter the lean and wet season which will further diminish food supplies and potentially worsen displacement.

The agency did note that counties in which violence has been largely absent have seen improvements in food insecurity as a result of increased crop production and humanitarian efforts. However, hunger continues.

Despite such ongoing challenges, Meshack Malo, the country representative of FAO in South Sudan, said that these results are proof of the “dividends of peace.”

Descent into conflict

South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, gained independence in 2011 and immediately fell into a brutal and devastating civil war which ultimately ended in 2018 thanks to a peace agreement between political rivals which has largely held.

However, recent political tensions and increased violent attacks, especially in the Upper Nile State, threaten to unravel the peace agreement and plunge the nation back into conflict.

“South Sudan cannot afford to sink into conflict at this point in time. It will plunge already vulnerable communities into severe food insecurity, leading to widespread hunger,” said Meshack Malo, Country Representative of FAO in South Sudan.

Humanitarian difficulties

FAO said that humanitarian access must be improved in order to address the worsening hunger situation.

The FAO report also emphasized that peace and capacity building is the only sustainable solution for food insecurity in South Sudan.

“Long-term peace is essential, but right now, it is critical our teams are able to access and safely distribute food to families caught in conflict in Upper Nile, to bring them back from the brink and prevent famine,” said Ms. McGroarty.