Ending conflict is the only lasting solution to displacement, says UN refugee chief

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih has said peace is the most durable solution to forced displacement caused by conflict, violence and persecution. Addressing the Security Council for the first time on Friday, he urged council member states to use their political influence to end conflicts and to keep peace processes going.

According to High Commissioner Salih, about 117 million people are currently forced to leave their homes due to conflict, violence and security threats. He said the pace of displacement is outstripping efforts to find solutions, the number of conflicts is rising, and many conflicts are dragging on for a long time.

In the absence of political solutions, millions of people who left home thinking it was temporary remain displaced for years, and in some cases across generations. He said camps built for emergencies lasting for decades, with children inheriting the pain of their parents' displacement, cannot be considered a success.

The real success, the high commissioner said, is creating conditions where people no longer need assistance at all. He recalled that the Refugee Convention, signed 75 years ago, established a commitment to protect the displaced when peace fails.

He said displacement should be seen not merely as a humanitarian problem but as an issue linked to international peace and security. He also made clear that the responsibility for building peace does not rest with humanitarian agencies alone.