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U.N. Estimates More than 21 Million Refugees in 2000
Refugees, asylum seekers and others under concern of the U.N. refugee agency stood at approximately 21.1 million in the year 2000, according to U.N. statistics.
New statistics released Friday by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) show that Pakistan saw the largest increase in refugee population over the past year, due to the influx of an additional 800,000 Afghans. Globally, Afghans constitute UNHCR's largest caseload, with an estimated 3.6 million people, or 30 percent of the world's refugee population.
The second largest group, according to the statistics, is comprised of civilians from Burundi, 567,000 of whom are living in Tanzania. Iraqis make up the third largest refugee population, with 497,400 living in Iran.
On the whole, Asia leads with nearly 8.5 million people "of concern" to the agency, which counts not only refugees and asylum seekers but also internally displaced persons who UNHCR cares for under special arrangements. Europe has 5.6 million and Africa 5.3 million.
In releasing the statistics, the agency stressed that they " should be considered provisional and subject to change." UNHCR added, however, that it did not expect the final count, to be released in July, to "differ much" from today's figures.
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