One out of every 100 people on Earth is now a refugee
The increase in the number of displaced people shows that the world is less peaceful than at any time in the past 10 years
Paris — The number of refugees fleeing conflicts ballooned to 1% of the global population, the highest level in modern history, according to a report showing the world is less peaceful now than at any time in the past 10 years. Terrorism and internal conflict were the two biggest contributors pushing down the 2018 Global Peace Index, its fourth consecutive annual drop, according to a report published by the Institute of Economics and Peace. Iceland retained the top spot as the world’s most peaceful country while Syria was the least peaceful for the fifth consecutive year. "Increased numbers of refugees, terrorism, and heightened political tensions were behind the deterioration," Steve Killelea, the institute’s founder, said in an interview. "Refugees on their own would make one of the world’s biggest nations." There were 65.6-million refugees, or internally displaced people, at the end of 2016, or about 0.9% of the world population. More than 55% of them come from Syria, Afghanistan...
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