UN High Commissioner for Refugees Warns of More Than 117 Million Displaced People
X/@UNHCR_Kenya.
January 12, 2026 Hour: 1:21 pm
The conflict in Sudan has displaced more than 13 million people.
On Monday, former Iraqi President Barham Salih, the new United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), warned of unprecedented numbers of displaced people worldwide, more than 117 million, and devastating cuts in international aid.
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On his first official visit to Kenya, Salih called for reforms at UNHCR and other agencies to be more effective in providing assistance, and noted that the conflict in Sudan has caused the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with tens of thousands dead and more than 13 million displaced persons.
He emphasized that peace is vital to overcoming protracted displacement and creating conditions for inclusion, integration, and productivity, which avoids dependency that violates the refugees’ human rights and dignity.
During his visit to the Kakuma refugee camp, home to 300,000 refugees, Salih denounced the drastic reduction in ratios from the World Food Programme (WFP) due to a lack of funding, which affects the nutrition and health of people in need.
Salih, who was exiled in Iran during his childhood, replaces the Italian Filippo Grandi and brings personal experience with forced displacement. After Kenya, he will travel to Chad, where Sudanese refugees number over 1.2 million.
He praised Kenya’s solidarity, which hosts more than 800,000 refugees, and highlighted the government’s Shirika Plan, which promotes self-sufficiency through access to legal identity, employment, education, and financial services.
The Plan seeks to transform humanitarian assistance into sustainable integration, which fosters peaceful coexistence with host communities and sends a global message of the dignity and social contribution of refugees.
In Nairobi, Salih met with Kenyan President William Ruto and expressed his gratitude for the country’s long-standing commitment to progressive policies that strengthen the reception and integration of displaced persons.
teleSUR: JP
Source: EFE – UNHCR
