Following is the text of the fact sheet summarizing the findings:

(begin fact sheet)

U.S. COMMITTEE FOR REFUGEES

June 2002

Statistical Update

Uprooted Populations Worldwide

A) Worldwide General Statistics

REFUGEES

--14.9 million refugees worldwide at start of 2002.

--400,000 more refugees than last year--a 2.7 percent increase.

--Worldwide refugee totals have increased for three consecutive years after six straight years of declining numbers.

--.7 million fewer refugees than ten years ago; 2.7 million fewer than the peak year of 1992.

--Two countries/territories are the source of more than half the world's refugees: Afghanistan, Palestinians.

--Five countries/territories are the source of two-thirds of the world's refugees: Afghanistan, Palestinians, Burma, Angola, Sudan.

--Nine countries/territories have produced three-quarters of the world's refugees: Afghanistan, Palestinians, Burma, Angola, Sudan, Burundi, Congo-Kinshasa, Eritrea, Iraq.

--12 countries/territories are each producing a quarter-million or more refugees.

--21 countries/territories are each producing 100,000 or more refugees.

--Six of the ten leading refugee-producing countries are in Africa.

INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS

--At least 22.5 million internally displaced persons worldwide at start of 2002. (Less conservative estimates by USCR run as high as 24.9 million.)

--This is the largest number of internally displaced persons in seven years, according to USCR's most conservative historical estimates.

--15 countries have a half-million or more internally displaced persons.

--23 countries have a quarter-million or more internally displaced persons.

--31 countries are e ach producing 100,000 or more internally displaced persons (compared to 26 such countries in 1996, and 21 such countries in 1990).

--Nearly half of the world's internally displaced persons are in Africa.

TOTAL UPROOTED PEOPLE
(Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons Combined)

--At least 37.4 million people worldwide are uprooted as refugees or internally displaced persons.

--This is the largest number of uprooted people worldwide in seven years, according to USCR's most conservative historical estimates.

--4 million or more became newly uprooted during 2001.

--61 countries/territories are sources of significant numbers of uprooted people (at least 10,000 each).

--Ten largest producers of uprooted people: Afghanistan (5.5 million); Sudan (4.4 million); Palestinians (4.1 million); Angola (2.4 million or more); Colombia (2.4 million); Congo-Kinshasa (2.3 million); Indonesia (1.4 million); Burma (1 million or more); Burundi (970,000); Sri Lanka (940,000).

--More than one-third of the world's uprooted people come from three sources: Afghanistan, Sudan, and Palestinians.

--About half of the world's uprooted people come from five sources: Afghanistan, Sudan, Palestinians, Angola, and Colombia.

--Two-thirds of the world's uprooted people originate from ten sources (listed above).

B) Worldwide Regional Comparisons: Refugees

--Middle East-6.8 million refugees; 45 percent of worldwide total.

--Africa-3 million refugees; 20 percent of worldwide total.

--South and Central Asia-2.7 million refugees; 18 percent of worldwide total.

--Europe-1.2 million refugees; 6 percent of worldwide total.

--East Asia-0.8 million refugees; 5 percent of worldwide total (up from 0.7 and 4.6 percent last year)

--Americas-0.6 million refugees; 4 percent of worldwide total.

C) Major Hosting Countries Worldwide

--Half of all refugees worldwide have fled to five countries/territories: Iran (2.5 million); Pakistan (2 million); Jordan (1.6 million); Gaza/West Bank (1.4 million); and Tanzania (0.5 million).

--The second five countries/territories hosting the largest refugee populations: United States (490,000); Yugoslavia (400,000); Syria (400,000); Lebanon (390,000); India (345,000).

--15 countries are each hosting a quarter-million or more refugees.

--26 countries/territories are each hosting 100,000 or more refugees .

--72 countries/territories are each hosting 10,000 or more refugees.

D) Repatriation Worldwide

--At least 610,000 refugees voluntarily repatriated in 2001.

--The five largest voluntary repatriations during 2001: to Afghanistan (208,000); to Sierra Leone (80,000); to Macedonia (71,000); to Somalia (40,000); to Eritrea (33,000).

--More than 1.2 million refugees have voluntarily repatriated in the past two years.

--More than 2.3 million refugees have voluntarily repatriated in the past three years.

--More than 3.9 million refugees have voluntarily repatriated in the past five years.

--14 countries each received 10,000 or more repatriating refugees during 2001.

(end fact sheet)