The United Nations has been marking World Refugee Day.
The UN-backed day on June 20 is aimed at calling attention to the plight of the tens of millions of refugees around the globe.
The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says there currently are more than 43.7 million refugees or internally displaced people around the world.
A report issued by the UNHCR on June 18 says conflicts around the world produced 800,000 new refugees in 2011.
That's the most new refugees in a single year since 2000, when the figure was 822,000.
The increased number of refugees in 2011 was attributed primarily to the conflicts in Libya, Sudan, and Somalia.
Afghanistan remains the leading source of refugees, accounting for 2.7 million.
The UN-backed day on June 20 is aimed at calling attention to the plight of the tens of millions of refugees around the globe.
The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says there currently are more than 43.7 million refugees or internally displaced people around the world.
A report issued by the UNHCR on June 18 says conflicts around the world produced 800,000 new refugees in 2011.
That's the most new refugees in a single year since 2000, when the figure was 822,000.
The increased number of refugees in 2011 was attributed primarily to the conflicts in Libya, Sudan, and Somalia.
Afghanistan remains the leading source of refugees, accounting for 2.7 million.
With reporting by AP
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