policy that has served only to interrupt the traditional u.s. asylum process. ♪ >> that's a quick check of the headlines. a russian soldier has been jailed for life by a ukrainian court for crimes. 21-year-old admitted killing an unarmed civilian, the first such trial since russia invaded ukraine three months ago. palestinian officials are asking the international criminal court to investigate the killing of shireen abu akleh. the al jazeera journalist was shot in the head by israeli forces while she was an assignment earlier this month. floods caused by months and rains are causing havoc for

india and bangladesh. dozens have been killed and tens of thousands have been left stranded. are the headlines. the news continues here on al jazeera after "inside story." stay with us. we will be back in half an hour. ♪ >> [speaking foreign language] ♪

>> shireen abu akleh, al jazeera. ♪ hashem: a record 100 million people forcibly displaced. you and the war in ukraine has pushed the world into a staggering milestone. but will this be the "wake-up call" to resolve other conflicts

? this is "inside story." ♪ hashem: hello, welcome to the program. i'm hashem ahelbarra. it's being called a record that should never have been set -- the u.n.'s refugee agency says more than 100 million people have been forcibly displaced around the world. the figure was reached after the war in ukraine pushed at least 14 million people from their homes. while the unhcr praised the international response to help ukrainians, it's urging the same level of compassion for other conflicts and crises. rights groups have criticized western nations for failing to welcome the vast majority of displaced people from africa the , middle east, and asia. the u.n.'s high commissioner for refugees says the figure is a wake-up call to resolve global conflicts.

>> there is not just ukraine,but we should not forget all the rest. first of all, because ukraine has an impact on many other fragile situations, making it more fraught, making them more fragile. food insecurity, energy crisis, price increases, instability and then commit this in turn can cause more displacement, if you have countries getting into undressed and into political fragility. we may see more displacement. so it is very important as we respond to ukraine and we will continue to also pay adequate attention to crises in africa, in the middle east, in latin america, in asia, and so forth. hashem: let's take a closer look at the numbers. by the end of last year, at

least 90 million people were displaced mainly coming from , ethiopia, burkina faso, myanmar, nigeria, afghanistan, and the democratic republic of congo, and ukraine this year. and they mostly went to countries like turkey, jordan. uganda, pakistan, lebanon, germany, sudan, bangladesh, iran and ethiopia. the major causes are still conflict, violence, and persecution. followed by natural disasters. but weather-related events like storms, floods, wildfires, droughts, and extreme temperatures are becoming a growing trend. ♪ let's bring in our guests. in nairobi, nazanine moshiri, senior analyst for climate and security in africa at the international crisis group. in uppsala, sweden, jesper bjarnesen, senior researcher at the nordic africa institute. and in london, parvati nair, professor of migration studies at queen mary university of

london. welcome to the program. nazneen, a staggering milestone. we are talking 100 million people displaced, more than 1% of the global population. let's talk globally before we moved to different parts of the world. why this staggering increase in the number of displacements? >> there are a number of reasons for this displacement. as you mentioned, conflict is a major driver. in africa, in the democratic republic of congo, in ethiopia in the horn region, we have major conflicts ongoing and that is a major driver. but there are other drivers, too. as you mentioned climate, in terms of climate stresses, the extremes in the weather we are seeing, the ongoing prolonged

drought in the horn region, we are seeing major weather disasters -- storms, cyclones, flooding in parts of the world. those are also major factors which are leading to the staggering figure. but you have to remember as well that a lot of these people have been displaced time and time again. so those figures are staggering. many people have been displaced and they are moving internally within their own countries. for example here in south sudan in the horn, all moving across borders, as well. hashem: 38 million internally displaced people reported in 2021, 14 million ukrainians displaced. you're getting a sense that this is showing no signs of abating at all. guest: well, to some extent i agree with that. unfortunately we have seen an ever increasing number of

displaced people globally, and i agree with her that we have to look at the drivers of displacement and really focus on what is forcing people on the move under these conditions. i would also emphasize that there has been a more or less complete failure in halting armed conflict. i work mainly in west africa and we have seen the opposite, the escalation of armed conflict, with displacement as a major consequence. so those are worrying trends and worrying figures. but i also just want to mention that we rely a lot on conflict resolution for our understanding of displacement dynamics. they do a fantastic job not just in interventions but also in collecting data. but there is this tendency also that as a charity-based organization, they do need to emphasize this ever-increasing

number. it wouldn't look good to the donors to say that the trend is actually reversing. so i just want to caution against the narrative that also really pushes this idea of an ever-escalating and unending crisis. hashem: ok. parvati, do we have to spend more time now focusing on the drivers or the triggers when the y combine? because we have wars, conflicts, autocracy, climate change. you get a sense sometimes that the international community is doing nothing to try to tackle this issue. guest: thank you for this question. i think it is not exactly true to say that the international community is doing nothing. in 2018, we had two major global compacts which are not binding legal agreements, but nevertheless, commitments by countries to both address

questions of safe, orderly migration, and also the question of cooperation around refugees. but i think that these compacts and agreemts, good as they are, are taking second place or third place even in international priorities. this is the problem. i think it is good to have a good understanding of drivers and triggers. but to talk in terms of drivers and triggers alone is not enough. the international community, particularly the wealthier countries of the world, the global north, if you like, has a responsibility to really look at the way in which development is being propagated globally, and to have a much more people-centered and planet-centered approach and that is vital if we're actually going to find a way forward . because today, it is 100 million. if that means one out of 100 people may be in the world.

but means also that tomorrow, it will be you, me, and everyone else that know. it is important to have a very important to have a different, systemic approach to the question of human displacement. hashem: speaking of those approaches nazanin, when you , look at somalia and you see because of the ongoing conflict the number of displaced has been on the rise. at the same time in ethiopia, because of the conflict in tigray. but then the african union, the international community have not really been able to step in in a way or another that not only would put an end to that those problems, but would bring about a permanent solution to this conflicts. guest: i think access is a big issue, and also the fact that when you are talking about these disasters, the focus is on immediate humanitarian aid, and it is not often on sustainable solutions which could be brought about by building resilience to

climate issues. for example in parts of these countries. access in tigray is a real issue. access in large parts of somalia are controlled by al-shabab in the south and the central part of the country. so how can you even access those areas? how can you build sustainability when you are not in any dialogue at all with armed groups like al-shabab. that is part of the problem. hashem: years, but when you look at the war in ukraine and the global attention, you just move forward to places like west africa or the sahel region, where the challenges are massive. we are talking a vast territory larger than europe on its own. and with the increase of instability, we're talking about a potential for millions and millions of people to be affected in the in the future . however, you don't get that same sense of urgency and attention as far as the international

community is concerned. guest: i would agree with that observation. i think the ukrainian crisis has brought out something that is not new and not particularly surprising which is that europe prioritizes people closest to to its own borders. but also, people who are closest to sort of europe's own vision of itself, if you want. so there is a racial aspect there, there is a cultural aspect, there's a linguistic aspect. it seems much easier for european public opinion to sympathize with ukrainians displaced than for example, with people from mali or burkina faso. i think that's something we have to acknowledge. europe is an important donor region in the world. but i think europe has had too much of a say in the global conversation around refugee protection, for example. that is actually not in line

with the realities on the ground. more than 80% of the worlds displaced people are actually hosted in the global south. so i think the european understanding of who is worthy of solidarity and attraction should not be the only worry in that convert -- should not be the only voice in the conversation. hashem: parvati, how to move forward? because you get a sense that the international community is having an issue particularly when it comes to impunity. you look at places like yemen, like syria. millions of people were killed, hundreds of thousands displaced. and ultimately, the international community is not doing what it should to prevent those atrocities from being done again and again. guest: absolutely. i would agree with you. and i agree also with what has been said just now about the fact that the ukrainian displacement, horrible and tragic as it is, is only a

recent tape to this massive iceberg. the vast majority of displaced people are in developing countries. many are in africa but also latin america. we have venezuelans, cubans, a large number of people on the move in latin america, asia, the rohingya crisis has been existing for a long time. wherever you go now, there is the presence of the refugee being internally displaced. the migrant. but there has been a distinct prioritization which is racial as well as to do with european identities. particularly here in the u.k.. it is very interesting that the u.k. government has, on the one hand and up a channel whereby u.k. citizens can offer a home to ukrainians. at the same time, they are working on a deal with rho rwana

to send those who may come across from the channel from france. and we know many of them are from conflict or post-conflict zones, from africa, erect, et cetera. we see a very clear distinction. honesty is absolutely necessary on the table. and i also agree that a lot of the measures have been responsive in reaction, rather than tackling what is a global nominated. hashem: international rights organizations and ngos uprooting underground rate this issue for one reason, they want it to come to an end and they don't want to see a repeat of it. sometimes urgent need is for , donations, for donors to step in to provide assistance tackle what they they can tackle now when it comes to inviting people to look at the root causes of

the problem, that is where people say, you know what, this is going to take ages and ages to solve. guest: i think that is definitely a huge issue. and i concur with what was said on the painful contrast between the way that ukrainian refugees have been treated in the way that refugees from somalia or syria have been treated. one of the issues that has not been raised possibly is the fact that what is happening in ukraine is having a massive impact on the potential for that aid that is desperately needed right now here in the hornet where i am, and also of course in the sahel region as well. if we just take somalia, for example, somalia is really reliant on wheat from russia and ukraine even before the war, heavily dependent on imported

rice, sugar, oil. this has had a major impact on prices. i think food prices have increased more than 140 percent in somalia, which is extreme. when you look at the aid that is needed to help people who have been displaced and the cost, the figures don't add up. it is impossible to really know how that gap refilled. i think this is a huge issue and a big worry for people who are trying to help the vulnerable communities who have been impacted by these many issues right now. hashem: she raised the issue of the global dimension of the conflict in ukraine. if this continues, because ukraine is one of the biggest importers of grain in the world, if the disruption

continues, we are likely to see more hunger and instability and violence in africa, for example, and then the potential for more displacement to happen. it seems that this is going to invite us to rethink the way we deal with crisis particularly those with a global dimension . guest: i definitely think that both the unfortunate milestone of 100 million displaced people and the war in the ukraine is giving us sort of another occasion to reassess the way international interventions and responses are modeled. i do think that there is a need for a more holistic approach to displacement crises. we have already mentioned the centrality of the drivers behind displacement. one thing i would like to emphasize both in terms of conflict prevention and in terms of responses to displacement is the immense capacities of local communities in the area that are experiencing this displacement

to actually host displaced people and make do outside the purview of state intervention or the presence of international organizations. so i think that in terms of the broader approach to responding to these issues, there is a need for more acknowledgment, of the immense resources and efforts made locally very close to the displacement situations around the world, where local communities are actually receiving people, housing them and providing them with opportunities. i think that broadening the view to also include development efforts to strengthen those communities is a way to make the responses more sustainable over time. hashem: 100 million remains a number. in fact, we are talking 100 million stories, shattered lives and dreams, stories of eviction and disposition. yet, once again, you get a sense

that the world cares more about figures, not the stories of the people who are the most vulnerable. guest: you are right. and it is a problem. we live in a world where there are many instrumental approaches and priorities and numbers somehow fit in better than stories. i just want to say one thing. yes, we are talking about 100 million lives and stories of displacement and despair. but those 100 million lives as long as they are alive are also 100 million lives of hope. i think it is absolutely fundamental, and i thank you for flagging the humanity that is at stake, and a great loss for all of us across the planet if we don't invest in government, don't invest more attention,

more funds, more resources and support for these 100 million lives that our lives of great promise in the future. it is a great tragedy because many of these are young. they are the future of this planet so it is fundamental that we humanize the refugees and displacement story. i also completely agree that we need local authorities to be taken into account, ngo's. questions of police. it is on the ground in particular localities and places and regions that the actual support and resilience is happening. and so it is absolutely fundamental to take into account that meeting point of people on the moon and places that welcome them. there are some good examples of this. for example in italy where we had mayors making arrangements amongst one another when the government was going off in a completely different direction. so i think there is a great

potential that needs to be paid attention to and tucked into. hashem: climate change will definitely be a bigger issue in the coming years, the scarcity of water and food particularly in the african continent. could this be the moment to change or shift priorities as far as the african union concerned deadline to silence , because they talk about a deadline to silence guns when i think now it could be the moment to think about how to tackle climate change and its repercussions. guest: absolutely. we have been waiting a few years now for the african union to appoint a climate envoy. they have not done that yet. this year is really significant for the african continent, because cop26 and will be in egypt. many say that it will be an african cop. so it is a really key time for africans to have their voices

heard. but just looking at climate change and climate stresses, when we talk about immigration in the sahel or here in the horn, it has been the way of life here. migratory movements across borders have in the norm, particularly for herders. . but what we have seen in terms of the impact of climate on these movements, that droughts in particular, recurring droughts have reduced the ability of these populations to move because they are left without the resources necessary to move. this is a huge, huge issue for people who live a semi-nomadic way of life. with the longer dry seasons we are seeing and increased pressure on water and land, we are seeing a shift in those moments and that will be a huge issue in terms of bringing people into potential situations where they could end up in

conflict. hashem: the issue of droughts, long cycles of droughts have been straining relations between herders and farmers and ethnic groups in africa, but it is also creating problems for host nations in different parts of the world. niger, for example has its own problems, then it is flooded with a huge number of refugees and displaced people. people are saying, we can't handle those problems anymore. guest: that's right. as i said before, the majority of the world's displaced police are hosted in the global south. many of those regions and communities are also highly vulnerable among other reasons, because of environmental degradation. for example through --. and i want to emphasize that despite that vulnerability, people are still stepping up to that challenge. we do see some conflicts arising

from the arrival of displaced people, but we also see a lot of solidarity on the ground. i just want to emphasize one more thing which is that in thinking about the narrative around refugees globally, the key issue in the solidarity we have seen around people displaced from the ukraine now is that they are not only offered asylum, they are also offered the opportunity to work. what we see for example in relations within the syrian refugee crisis is that fairly well-off people with a certain degree of education are kept waiting in asylum procedures for years without being able to work or contribute on their own, which is what most people in the world want to do. so in terms of responses, we need to think about whether it is in the sahara or in europe, think about how we can encourage systems that allow for people to create their own lives under these new conditions and we will

definitely continue talking about this issue in the near future. hashem: at least hoping that one day that staggering number of , people who have been evicted from their homes will decrease. nazanine moshiri, jesper bjarnesen, parvati nair, i really appreciate your insight. thank you. and thank you for watching. you can see the program again anytime, by visiting our website, aljazeera.com. for further discussion, go to our facebook page. that is facebook.com/ajinsidestory. you can also join the conversation on twitter. our handle is at @ajinsidestory. for me, hashem ahelbarra, and the entire team here in doha, bye for now. ♪ ÷÷ñ■ñ■ñ■ñ■ñ■ñ■ñ■ñ■ñ■ñ■ñ■ñ■ñ■ñ■ñ■

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