World's Refugees Number Nearly 44 Million

June 20, 2011: War and political repression were responsible for 43.7 million people being displaced from their homes by the end of 2010, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The figure comes from a report released by the agency on June 20, World Refugee Day. The number of refugees is the highest in 15 years, and is up 400,000 from the previous year. Just over half of the refugees are children under age 18, reports Reuters’ AlertNet. Developing countries shoulder most of the burden of caring for refugees: Pakistan, Iran, and Syria host the majority of refugees. Afghanis make up the largest group of displaced people -- 3 million. Next in absolute numbers are Iraqis, Somalis, and Congolese, reflecting those nations’ ongoing conflicts. War continues to pressure people to flee. This year strife in Africa and the Middle East has pushed thousands of families from their homes.