Countries Commit to Provide $2.2 Billion at the Global Refugee Forum

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees announced on Friday that participants at the Global Refugee Forum pledged over $2.2 billion to address a global refugee crisis, an effort that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated would contribute to "reducing the flow of misery." Thousands of individuals from relief organizations, companies, and civil society attended the three-day forum in Geneva, Switzerland, as the number of displaced individuals and refugees exceeded a record of 114 million due to conflicts, poverty, and climate change. Guterres told the UN, "This forum helps us reduce the flow of misery," during his closing remarks, noting humanitarian crises in Myanmar, Yemen, Somalia, and Gaza. He added, "The pledges give me hope that we can achieve a global consensus to finally address the immense challenges of our time that fuel the refugee crisis." The Commission also mentioned that some countries pledged to welcome one million refugees from third-world countries by 2030. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, stated in a message, "Participants exhibited leadership, vision, and creativity in seeking solutions to extremely complex problems." Grandi expressed to Reuters before the event that he hoped the forum would help combat the increasing Western narrative seeing refugees as a threat.