UN: 7.6 Million People Became Refugees in 2012
Highest number since 1994
The UN says 7.6 million people became refugees in 2012, with the total number now higher than at any time since 1994.
A report from the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees(UNHCR) says that Syria is "a major new factor" driving up refugee numbers.
The report say 55% of all refugees come from five countries: Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Sudan and Syria.
It also found that developing countries now hosted 81% of the world's refugees, 11% more than a decade ago.
"These truly are alarming numbers. They reflect individual suffering on a huge scale and they reflect the difficulties of the international community in preventing conflicts and promoting timely solutions for them," said UNHCR chief Antonio Guterres.
