At the Root of Exodus: Food Security, Conflict and International Migration
Publisher: World Food Programme
Date: 2017
Topics: Conflict Prevention
Countries: Syrian Arab Republic
There has been a surge in international migration in recent years, reaching a total of 244 million individuals in 2015. Forced displacement has also reached a record high, with 65.3 million individuals displaced worldwide by the end of 2015 – including refugees, IDPs and asylum seekers. Yet while the absolute numbers have increased over the last 15 years, migrants as a percentage of total global population has remained stable at about three percent. A majority of migrants remain on their own continents – nearly nine out of ten African migrants settle on the African continent, while eight out of ten Asian migrants remain in Asia. Forced displacement is predominantly an issue outside wealthy economies: nine out of ten refugees are hosted by low and middle-income countries.